One example of that being how Parker and Smith attended rival high schools in Virginia, both playing defensive back, before both later pledged the same fraternity (Kappa Alpha Psi); and now they’re together in North Texas.
Hoping to parlay that into swift and extended success for the Cowboys, their first order of business, or at least one of them, is to acclimate to what Dallas needs and to interview draft prospects in the process.
The rubber is quickly meeting the road for all involved.
Ryan Smith
On reuniting with Christian Parker in Dallas:
“It’s a blessing to be here in Dallas working with him. The belief that he has, and what the Philly defense showed on tape with him, everyone he’s been, the brand and style of ball they’ve played shows up and pops on film. I know the style of defense that he plays, and I’ve always wanted to be a part of it. And when the opportunity came, it was a no-brainer for me.”
On his coaching philosophy:
“My coaching philosophy, and I’ve molded it as I’ve gone along — No. 1 is trust, and getting the players to trust me, trust how I’m gonna coach them and develop that relationship. No. 2 is passion, and being passionate about my work to show up on a daily basis and show those guys how to get better. And the third thing is the drive to work hard, and to push those guys to achieve things that they couldn’t achieve on their own.”
On his teaching style and the origin of it:
“I have a business degree from William Mary and then I got my masters at Penn State in educational leadership. I was a [graduate assistant] at Penn State but, while I did that, I was taking master’s classes at night. I was with future superintendents, principals and people who are in higher education, so I learned different strategies and different techniques in a classroom setting to get guys locked in and retaining information.”
On providing an example of that unique coaching style:
“When I was at Northwestern, you’re dealing with the smartest student-athletes you could ever imagine. They’re Ivy League-caliber student-athletes. You have to go into that meeting room prepared and ready to teach. I felt like a professor. Call me Professor Smith, the way I attacked that meeting room preparation and got guys to really buy in, and you’ve gotta be creative. You can’t just click on the film. It’s like a lesson plan.”
On what needs to change about the Cowboys’ defense:
“There’s plays that were out there that were left on the table, but I think that all 11 [players] fitting into the scheme that CP is going to instill with our guys, the 3-4 structure, being able to get to nickel and four-down structures in different situations, I think it fits the guys we have. They’ll be able to play fast, play instinctive and use their traits to put themselves into good positions. You’ll see a different product.”
