Brian Schottenheimer reveals thyroid cancer scare when he was 28
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday that he is 'glad' Jerry shared his diagnosis and treatment to give people 'hope.'
'It gives people the strength to say 'Hey, you can beat this,'' Schottenheimer said, via video from the team.
Schottenheimer, 51, then for the first time shared his own cancer diagnosis at age 28. He showed the scar where doctors removed 17 lymph nodes to rid him of thyroid cancer.
'I knew I had lump in my throat. I knew there was something bothering me, but I didn't think it was anything,' said Schottenheimer, who now is cancer-free.
Schottenheimer had just finished a training camp practice more than two decades ago when he received a message to call his doctor. He knew it was bad news and, after hearing it from the doctor, went to tell his father, Marty, who immediately called former Washington owner Dan Synder.
Snyder previously had beaten thyroid cancer.
'I broke down. [Marty Schottneheimer] said, 'We'll figure this out and get the best help we can get,'' Schottenheimer said. 'He picked up the phone and called Dan Snyder, a guy that two years before had fired him. . . . I'll never forget: He told me when Dan picked up the phone, and my dad said to him, 'Hey, Dan, I have a problem; Brian has cancer.' Dan said, 'Marty, give me 5 minutes, and I'll call you back,' and I think it was within 24 to 36 hours that I was on the operating table [at the Mayo Clinic] in Rochester, Minnesota. Again, it just shows you when you're dealing with things like that, everything competitively stops.'
Schottenheimer said it was 'traumatic' to hear the c-word and to contemplate the unknown.
'Mine was nothing as serious as [Jones' cancer diagnosis],' Schottenheimer said. 'Thyroid cancer is the slowest growing cancer in the world. I was actually more concerned about when I had to have the surgery that I could lose my ability to speak, and I was a coach. They're [operating] around your vocal cords. [Former Bengals and Bucs] Sam Wyche actually had something like that happen to him. . . . It kind of reminds you of what truly matters.'
Schottenheimer said that without his position in the NFL and for Synder, his story could have turned out differently.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Cowboys Coach Brian Schottenheimer Had A Lot To Say About George Pickens
Cowboys Coach Brian Schottenheimer Had A Lot To Say About George Pickens originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Brian Schottenheimer was promoted as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys after one season as the offensive coordinator, replacing Mike McCarthy. His first preseason game wasn't pretty, losing to the Los Angeles Rams 31-21. But a majority of the Cowboys' starters, including new wide receiver George Pickens, who was traded to Dallas from the Pittsburgh Steelers over the offseason, did not receive a single snap. Pickens, 24, was known as a locker room problem during his time with the Steelers, arriving late to games and getting into numerous fights. But Schottenheimer has been impressed with the former Georgia Bulldogs star since his arrival in Dallas. 'From the time we got George and we went in my office and spent some time together, shot some free throws, and just talked and got to know each other," Schottenheimer said. "He made it very clear, he was like, 'Coach, I'm thrilled to be here, No. 1. I want to be coached. I want to be great... Lean into me. Be tough on me. Tell me the things I need to do.'" Schottenheimer proceeded to praise Pickens for his work ethic and communication. 'He's been nothing but incredible in terms of the way he's worked with us, the way he has communicated with us," Schottenheimer added. In the 2024 NFL season, his third in the league, Pickens was Pittsburgh's top pass catcher. The No. 52 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft tallied 59 catches for 900 yards and three touchdowns. Not only has Schottenheimer been impressed with Pickens, but Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has as well. "You turn on that guy's tape, he's getting separation," Prescott said in July. "He's got separation even when he's not getting the ball at times. And when he doesn't have separation, he's still making the catches. "It's not going to be hard. For me, it's about getting the ball near that guy, and he will be George Pickens. Go turn on the tape. He's great at doing it." The Cowboys will open the year on September 4, facing the Philadelphia Eagles in the first regular-season game of the story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Meet the Eagles' undrafted rookie who stole the show in his NFL debut
PHILADELPHIA — Darius Cooper introduced himself to Eagles fans everywhere on Thursday night. But just so there was no confusion, the undrafted rookie wide receiver who starred in Philadelphia's preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals literally introduced himself to reporters at his Lincoln Financial Field locker. 'Darius Cooper. Graduated from Tarleton State University. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri. It's a blessing to be here,' he said with a wide smile. Cooper had every reason to be grinning from cheek to cheek. The FCS standout, who wasn't invited to the NFL combine and knew he wouldn't get drafted, put on a show. Cooper shined against the Bengals, continuing his head-turning play from training camp. The rookie had six catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. He beat his man off the line of scrimmage and won a one-on-one matchup for the score. He accounted for four first downs. He showcased his speed, in and out of breaks and through the catch. He did it all. On a night when backup Tanner McKee shined, Cooper was his favorite target. 'It was the best feeling in the world. I took it all in,' Cooper said. 'I'm just thankful for the opportunity to play this game, especially with this great organization.' Cooper's story is an easy one to get behind. The former high school quarterback transitioned to receiver when he arrived at Tarleton State, located in Stephenville, Texas, in 2020. Cooper had six catches in his first two seasons — as many as he had against the Bengals. His next three seasons? Cooper combined for 158 catches, 3,135 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns. Cooper 'prayed on' the idea of transferring after his breakout 2022 season. But he decided to stay and was rewarded. Cooper led the FCS with 1,450 receiving yards last season. He hauled in 14 touchdowns and averaged 19.1 yards per catch. The only player with more receiving yards than him in all of Division I was Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (1,555). Fannin was selected in the third round of the 2025 draft. Cooper didn't hear his name called, nor did he expect to. He wasn't disappointed to be left out of the NFL combine, either. 'God has a plan for everyone. God has a purpose. My plan wasn't to go in the draft,' Cooper said. 'My focus was on training to have a good pro day. ... My name didn't get called, but that was OK. The Eagles picked us up.' Philadelphia announced Cooper's signing as an undrafted free agent in May. He joined for rookie minicamp and continued with the team through OTAs and now the preseason. Cooper wasn't worried about his skills translating from the FCS to the NFL — about going from playing Utah Tech and West Georgia to competing with the Super Bowl champions. He believes 'if you put the work in, it's going to show.' And, well, it showed. Cooper has made things interesting at wide receiver. A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Jahan Dotson are locked in. Otherwise, it's an open competition for a few spots on the 53-man roster. And if his performances in training camp didn't already earn him serious consideration, Cooper's performance on Thursday night was difficult for Nick Sirianni and Howie Roseman to ignore. Of course, not everything has been smooth sailing. Cooper has had some growing pains, as all rookies do. He had his 'welcome to the NFL' moment already. Back in OTAs, Cooper was taking his first reps with Jalen Hurts and the first-team offense. I'll let him tell the rest. '(Hurts) was calling the play, and I was right next to him, and I'm looking at him,' Cooper recalled. 'Like, I'm right next to Jalen Hurts right now. Like, this is crazy. 'He called the play, we broke the huddle, and I didn't know what I was doing at all.' Fortunately, Cooper caught the tail-end of Hurts' call and ran the correct route. Hurts didn't throw him the ball, but every little detail matters when you're trying to make the team. Every snap, every catch, every route matters when you're an undrafted rookie. And on Thursday night, what mattered was everyone got to know Darius Cooper, the graduate from Tarleton State University who's originally from St. Louis, Missouri.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Eagles rookie's impressive debut overshadowed by moment that ‘he is going to be sick about'
PHILADELPHIA — When Eagles rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell dropped an interception during Thursday night's preseason win over the Cincinnati Bengals, defensive tackle Jalen Carter smirked and safety Reed Blankenship raised his hands above his head. Linebacker Nakobe Dean and offensive tackle Jordan Mailata were among those who gave Campbell a hard time afterward. Everybody was in disbelief. A pass from Bengals backup quarterback Jake Browning slipped out of wide receiver Isaiah Williams' hands and dangled in the air as Campbell dove for it. He got both hands on the ball, but it fell out after his back came off the ground. He slammed one fist into the turf and grabbed his face mask out of frustration. 'Oh, man. Jihaad Campbell is going to be sick about that,' Eagles color commentator Ross Tucker said on the television broadcast. After the game, Campbell admitted that he was 'still upset' about not picking off Browning. The Eagles' pick of Campbell with the 31st pick in the 2025 NFL Draft was considered a steal. A shoulder injury caused the former Alabama star to slide further than expected. Campbell has looked the part during practices and flashed great potential against the Bengals. His numbers (three assisted tackles) were not dazzling — an interception would have made things better. But his speed and physicality stood out. He was around the ball on a ton of plays, showing he could be a great playmaker for Philadelphia's defense. 'Shoulda, coulda, woulda, but I didn't,' Campbell said about dropping the interception. 'There's things to learn from. Got to catch it and turn my body so I can land on my back. So it's different pointers in that, you know, that I got to understand and just be a pro more so. Just keep on continuing to get better. That's all I can do.' Rookie defensive tackle Ty Robinson said he 'ripped' Campbell 'a little bit' for missing the pick and laughed about it. He's confident Campbell will get it next time. 'It was great, but I'm an overachiever, and I want to get back to the tape to watch the thing that I can self-assess on and get better,' Campbell said. Campbell, a native of Erial, which is about a 20-minute drive to Lincoln Financial Field, had family in attendance, making the moment even more special. During Philadelphia's pre-game warmups, he visualized making plays and seeing the fans during the game. The 21-year-old reminded himself to not 'get big-headed' and to not be afraid of making mistakes. Overthinking his assignments would only lead to more errors. 'It's a day-by-day, step-by-step process,' he said about defensive coordinator Vic Fangio putting a lot on his plate. 'It's a big mountain that I got to climb. I'm willing to climb it every day, you know what I'm saying? For myself and for the whole team.' Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said Campbell is 'doing a good job' and continues to get better every day, and Campbell's teammates agree. Soon, Campbell could develop into a dynamic playmaker for one of the NFL's best defenses. 'Jihaad is a violent dude out there on the field,' Robinson said. 'He's quick, too. Watching him on film, he's just flying around. He's not afraid to hit. I can tell you that. It's funny to watch him. We're out there in practice, and he might hit one of the starters or the ones on offense. I'm like, 'Ouu, man, maybe you shouldn't do that.' But it's just part of the game. When you're out there, you just want to do your part, you want to go make a play, and sometimes it happens. Those guys don't get too upset. They understand as well.' Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Cayden Steele may be reached at CSteele@
