The coaching staff of the Dallas Cowboys selected their 11-player Leadership Council, and it features a wide variety of players, and some may not be who you expected. Rather than just a collection of the team’s most popular stars, this group features players possessing positive locker room influence, strong communication, and elite professional standards.
What’s so special about the players chosen? Today, we’ll run through each player and explain why each of them make a great choice for this honor.
Dak Prescott – Resilience
As the longest-tenured Cowboys player and the face of the franchise, Prescott is the epitome of a team leader. He embodies all the council’s core traits. His career is defined by immense resilience, battling one moment of adversity after another. His ultimate high-character moment came when he won the 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award for his extensive Faith Fight Finish Foundation work and openness about mental health, establishing him as an elite locker room anchor and one of the NFL’s all-around great guys.
CeeDee Lamb – Influence
Despite all the glitter and glam that comes with the 88-star receiver gig, Lamb has provided some underrated influence in the locker room. A key moment came early in the 2023 season when a frustrating loss to San Francisco appeared to fracture the team. Instead of fracturing, Lamb took accountability and actively got in sync with Prescott, completely reshaping the Cowboys’ offense for a historical turnaround down the stretch. And he demonstrated he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, aggressively blocking and leading by example with immense work ethic.
Javonte Williams – Grit
Nothing demonstrates perseverance more than returning from a devastating multi-ligament knee injury to prove you’re not damaged goods. The Cowboys bet on Williams in free agency last year, and he rewarded them with a 1,200-yard, 11-TD season. They, in turn, rewarded him with a pay raise. He doesn’t say much and lets his max-effort play do the talking. He exemplifies what toughness is, both mentally and physically.
Jake Ferguson – Heart
Ferguson is a player you probably wouldn’t like if he’s not on your team. He’s pesky, he’s brash, and he plays with a lot of swagger. His emotion is what gives him his edge, as he’s intense. He’ll run through defenders, hurdle them, and then point and snicker about it later. He’s a refuse-to-quit kind of guy and represents the competitive fire needed in the locker room and offers no apologies for it.
Tyler Smith – Selflessness
It’s so weird to see this once raw draft “reach” evolve into one of the most mature individuals on the team. From the onset, he was bounced around between positions and has answered every call. Now, as one of the game’s most physical interior blockers, he’s the staple of this offensive line. He’s a leader, helping his younger teammates with nutrition and conditioning, but he’s also a young guy himself who is still growing. He doesn’t look ahead or buy into any hype, and with each day he serves as the stabilizing force for this team’s culture.
Tyler Booker – Fearlessness
While the council is laced with experienced veterans, Booker stands as the pup of the group, entering just his second year in the league. He’s used to the leader role, holding the captain honor under Nick Saban at Alabama for three years, so his making the cut was a “no-brainer” choice for Schottenheimer. Not one to be shy, Booker is vocal in team meetings, willingly speaking his mind and doing so with conviction. From the moment he shared he wanted to make his opponents rethink their career choices, it was evident he was a fearless competitor, and his making this group at just 22 years old is just a continuation of the high standard he’s already set for himself.
Quinnen Williams – Determination
Williams is motivated by an unselfish desire to win. He’s not interested in the slightest in talking about his stats or personal goals. His focus is on being better and making the team better. As an elite talent formerly stuck in purgatory on a New York Jets team, he has gained a clear understanding that complacency is a killer, and he demands perfection from others, which is something you can get away from if you bring All-Pro effort on every snap.
Kenny Clark – Wisdom
Often viewed as a “throw-in” to the Micah Parsons trade, Clark’s importance to the team has always been highly underrated. And at age 30, some question how good he still is because it’s easy to forget that he’s made a career out of using his raw power and mastering fundamentals. Schottenheimer has praised the veteran recently for his precision hand placement and body leverage, making him still one of the best block-shedding defensive tackles in the game. Clark just has an elite understanding of what he’s supposed to do. His chemistry with Williams continues to grow, and these two are exceptional leaders in the trenches for guys on both sides of the ball.
Rashan Gary – Accountability
Despite being a veteran, Gary is new to the Cowboys, so making this list is a testament to what he’s done over his career. He’s a hard worker and sets an example for others, showing a strong level of commitment to his job approach. He shows up early, mentors younger players, and ensures no one is slacking. New guy or not, he’s already commanding the attention of the locker room and holding teammates accountable.
Jalen Thompson – Versatility
Thompson is another first-time Cowboy to make this group. He’s the team’s top free agent signing of the spring, lauded for his sharp communication skills. His football smarts make him one of the new tactical brains of Christian Parker’s secondary. His understanding of the safety position allows him to be a versatile piece to this defense. His willingness to do anything sets a great precedent and shows younger players that there are no bounds to their learning.
Bryan Anger – Consistency
When Anger joined the Cowboys, he was already an “old” veteran at 33, with nine years of experience, playing multiple years across three different teams. If he could just hang on for a couple of years, that would be great. Little did we know, he was just getting started. He’s now spent five years with the Cowboys, his new longest-tenured team. And he now has two All-Pro seasons, something he never had before coming to Dallas. He’s a quiet professional who has been a model of consistency over his 14 years in the league.
Each player shares traits deeply trusted by the coaching staff. Maturity and self-discipline are critical, but having a variety of culture also matters. They want these players to impact the locker room the right way and be guys others want to emulate. Seeing things objectively and communicating their concerns is important to the coaches, and they feel they have chosen the right guys for this role.
What do you think? Who do you feel was left off this list?
