It was your typical Brian Schottenheimer press conference Friday at The Star in Frisco, as the Dallas Cowboys prepare to take on the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, until a loud knock on the door of the press conference room stopped Schottenheimer mid-sentence.
The door swung open, and in walked Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach.
“Oh my goodness gracious,” Schottenheimer yelled as he stood from his press conference chair. “I will stop what I’m doing for this.”
Schottenheimer went and shook Staubach’s hand, as the 83-year-old stopped and acknowledged the first-year head coach and gave some comments on the team.
“This is my favorite coach,” Staubach said. “I still love the Cowboys. Right now, I’m pulling for you. It’s amazing, when I sit down to watch the Cowboys game, I still feel like I’m out there playing. We’re OK right now, but we’re going to get better.”
“No doubt,” Schottenheimer said.
Staubach has dialed back on his public appearances in recent years as he gets up in age. Friday’s surprise interaction was actually the first time he had met Schottenheimer in his three years in the building and his eight months as head coach.
“That’s my first [interaction],” Schottenheimer said. “That’s why I’m trying not to show all my emotions. I’m going to be skipping down the hall … That’s pretty cool. I’m juiced up for practice now.”
Staubach was a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion in his 11 seasons as quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 to 1979. Each year, he had a winning record in games he started, and he finished his career with an 85-29 record. He was the MVP in the team’s first Super Bowl win in 1972 over the Miami Dolphins.
Staubach was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
