10 Cowboys quick hits from Hard Knocks episode 1
8. A Sports Community
As fans, we forget that athletes worldwide, no matter what sport, are all a part of the same sporting community. When quarterback Dak Prescott sustained his shoulder injury, head athletic trainer for the Cowboys Jim Maurer contacted the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees medical staff for advice.
Shoulder injuries are nothing new for this team, but if Prescott is dealing with shoulder fatigue, no one knows shoulder injuries better than an MLB medical staff. The phone calls made by Mauer gave owner Jerry Jones a sigh of relief, knowing his star quarterback will be ready for week one.
9. A Mojo Moment
Head coach Mike McCarthy had a bland start to his tenure with the Dallas Cowboys. In 2021, McCarthy is looking to bring some excitement to a team coming off a down year. The idea for these “mojo moments” in practice came from the movie Austin Powers.
These are specific situations that put pressure on the offense and defense to capitalize on a momentum shift in a game. Connecting a message with a movie reference that players will understand can make the lesson come across clearer. Kudos to McCarthy for making Austin Powers relevant in 2021.
10. Hall of Fame Game
Not much happened in the Hall of Fame game last Thurs. night for Dallas. In episode one, the main focus amongst all players was that football was back, and it felt great to have fans in the stands again. Hard knocks did a great job honing in on the star player from the game, linebacker Micah Parsons.
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This was the rookie’s first football action since 2019, and he took full advantage of it. He finished the game with three tackles and a heads-up fumble recovery. If this is a sneak peek of what’s to come from the Penn State product this season, then the Cowboys should be happy with their new star on defense.