When Zach Thomas spoke, the Dallas Cowboys listened
By CHAREAN WILLIAMS
cjwilliams@star-telegram.com
IRVING — Zach Thomas hasn’t said much since he arrived from Miami, so when he speaks, teammates listen. The Dallas Cowboys linebacker spoke up during a defensive team meeting last week, a few days before the Cowboys held Tampa Bay without a touchdown.
"He hadn’t been real vocal until last week," Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears said. "You just pay attention to the way he plays. Leadership is so overrated. It’s something that has to be done. You’re not going to listen to a guy who doesn’t play. Zach has been doing it, and doing it at a high level for a long time, so you do pay attention."
Thomas has been quiet — at least off the field — since he signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Cowboys in February. The team leader in tackles has left the vocal leadership to Ken Hamlin, Bradie James, DeMarcus Ware and Terence Newman.
It is something he learned from Junior Seau, who joined Thomas in Miami in 2003 after 12 Pro Bowls and 13 seasons in San Diego.
"He’s one of the best, if not the best," Thomas said of Seau. "That’s the way I look at it. Junior came in saying, 'This isn’t my team. This is Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas’ team.’ He essentially left that rah-rah type of stuff [alone]. I learned that none of that matters if you don’t go and play well."
Thomas has played the part since arriving in Dallas.
He was expected to lead the Cowboys in tackles, having done that in 10 of his 12 seasons with the Dolphins. Plus, coach Wade Phillips’ defensive scheme is designed for the weakside inside linebacker to make the most tackles. Akin Ayodele didn’t do that last season, making 95 tackles, which is why Thomas was signed, and Ayodele was traded to Miami.
Through eight games, Thomas has 103 tackles, including 46 solos, according to coaches’ videos.
He has let his statistics, his résumé and his work habits speak for him. Thomas, whose seven Pro Bowl berths are three more than the other 10 defensive starters in the lineup Sunday for the Cowboys’ game against the New York Giants, didn’t need long to become a leader by example.
"You have to respect a vet like Zach Thomas," Cowboys defensive end Chris Canty said. "He goes about his business, doesn’t say much, but he prepares as hard as anyone during the course of the week to be at his best on Sunday. You definitely have to appreciate a guy like that in your locker room."
It wasn’t until the Thursday before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that Thomas finally felt comfortable enough to speak out. Bothered by the loss to the St. Louis Rams the previous Sunday, when the defense allowed 325 yards and he admittedly missed too many tackles, Thomas’ message to his teammates was to quit worrying about results and just to have fun.
Phillips brought up the speech in his postgame comments, crediting Thomas with firing up the defense, which allowed only 262 yards to the Bucs.
"Once you get the respect, then you can get up and speak," Thomas said. "I know when I was in Miami, I didn’t want somebody that just came in to get up. They needed to prove themselves to the team. That’s the way I look at it. …But speaking is overrated. If a guy can’t motivate himself, then he doesn’t need to be here."
cjwilliams@star-telegram.com
IRVING — Zach Thomas hasn’t said much since he arrived from Miami, so when he speaks, teammates listen. The Dallas Cowboys linebacker spoke up during a defensive team meeting last week, a few days before the Cowboys held Tampa Bay without a touchdown.
"He hadn’t been real vocal until last week," Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears said. "You just pay attention to the way he plays. Leadership is so overrated. It’s something that has to be done. You’re not going to listen to a guy who doesn’t play. Zach has been doing it, and doing it at a high level for a long time, so you do pay attention."
Thomas has been quiet — at least off the field — since he signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Cowboys in February. The team leader in tackles has left the vocal leadership to Ken Hamlin, Bradie James, DeMarcus Ware and Terence Newman.
It is something he learned from Junior Seau, who joined Thomas in Miami in 2003 after 12 Pro Bowls and 13 seasons in San Diego.
"He’s one of the best, if not the best," Thomas said of Seau. "That’s the way I look at it. Junior came in saying, 'This isn’t my team. This is Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas’ team.’ He essentially left that rah-rah type of stuff [alone]. I learned that none of that matters if you don’t go and play well."
Thomas has played the part since arriving in Dallas.
He was expected to lead the Cowboys in tackles, having done that in 10 of his 12 seasons with the Dolphins. Plus, coach Wade Phillips’ defensive scheme is designed for the weakside inside linebacker to make the most tackles. Akin Ayodele didn’t do that last season, making 95 tackles, which is why Thomas was signed, and Ayodele was traded to Miami.
Through eight games, Thomas has 103 tackles, including 46 solos, according to coaches’ videos.
He has let his statistics, his résumé and his work habits speak for him. Thomas, whose seven Pro Bowl berths are three more than the other 10 defensive starters in the lineup Sunday for the Cowboys’ game against the New York Giants, didn’t need long to become a leader by example.
"You have to respect a vet like Zach Thomas," Cowboys defensive end Chris Canty said. "He goes about his business, doesn’t say much, but he prepares as hard as anyone during the course of the week to be at his best on Sunday. You definitely have to appreciate a guy like that in your locker room."
It wasn’t until the Thursday before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that Thomas finally felt comfortable enough to speak out. Bothered by the loss to the St. Louis Rams the previous Sunday, when the defense allowed 325 yards and he admittedly missed too many tackles, Thomas’ message to his teammates was to quit worrying about results and just to have fun.
Phillips brought up the speech in his postgame comments, crediting Thomas with firing up the defense, which allowed only 262 yards to the Bucs.
"Once you get the respect, then you can get up and speak," Thomas said. "I know when I was in Miami, I didn’t want somebody that just came in to get up. They needed to prove themselves to the team. That’s the way I look at it. …But speaking is overrated. If a guy can’t motivate himself, then he doesn’t need to be here."
posted by The Gryphon at 10:04 AM
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