SAD NEWS: Dallas Cowboys announced that Daron Bland is leaving immediately after facing…
Dallas’ new DC brings an intensity that every defense should have.
About 30 years ago, Darren Woodson was coming off his first Pro Bowl selection, to go along with two Super Bowl rings. In three seasons, he was already considered one of the NFL’s best safeties.
And then Mike Zimmer was named the new secondary coach heading into the 1995 season and it wasn’t long before he asked Woodson to visit him in his new office.
“He sat me down and we pulled out the tape and we went over every one of my bad plays from the previous year,” Woodson recalled. “It was terrible. Here I was thinking I was a pretty good player and he wanted to go over all of the things I didn’t do well the year before. I hated that. I didn’t sleep for four or five days. But it made me better.”
Woodson did get better, making the Pro Bowl four straight times and he would eventually become the Cowboys’ all-time leading tackler.
Last week, Woodson learned that he once again was not included in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, despite being a finalist. But at least he found out some good news with the hiring of Zimmer as defensive coordinator once again in Dallas.
Now, Zimmer is set to join McCarthy’s staff and there’s one thing he is sure to bring, according to Woodson.
“Toughness. A toughness and a shock to the system for sure,” Woodson said. “He’s going to do it in a way where you’re going to have to be tough and show up to practice with a tough mindset. He’s going to challenge you. He’s not going to be their friend. He’s going to put you in positions where you’re probably not going to like him, but you’re going to respect him.”
“He’s just a damn good coach. He shows up and puts the time in. You know he’s putting the work in,” Woodson said. “He’s a believer in his system. He’s a firm believer in what he does. There’s no backing up, dude. He’s not playing on his heels. There’s nothing soft here. He’s going to come and bring a toughness to that team.”
