Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer carries a reminder of late father on the sideline
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Brian Schottenheimer honors his father Marty and roots with Kansas City ties.
- He links personal milestones - son's birth, missed game - to Chiefs loyalty.
- He preserves Marty's legacy with Hall visits, a Patriots trading card and prayers.
The Cowboys’ playoff chances got a boost with their 31-28 win over the Chiefs, while KC’s took a hit. However, Dallas coach Brian Schottenheimer hopes Kansas City runs the table and gets into the playoffs.
That’s because Schottenheimer has a special place in his heart for Kansas City, where his father, Marty, coached for 10 years. The Chiefs won 101 games and made the playoffs seven times under Marty Schotteheimer from 1989-98.
Brian Schottenheimer graduated from Blue Valley High School and played one season at KU while his father was in KC. After college, he was an assistant on his dad’s final Chiefs staff in 1998. Marty Schottenheimer, who died in 2021, coached the Chargers from 2002-05, and Brian was quarterbacks coach for three seasons in San Diego.
“We cheer for Kansas City when we’re not playing them,” Schottenheimer told reporters Thursday. “But I’ll share a quick story with you guys. So, 21 years ago today, I missed the only football game I’ve ever missed in my professional career. And the reason I missed it was because my wife was giving birth to our son, Sutton. He was our firstborn. I was actually on the plane heading from San Diego to Kansas City. ...
“So 21 years later the day he was born, we’re playing Kansas City again. I have so much love for the Chiefs organization. I always will. Every time I get a chance to go back to the stadium, I do, I want to see my dad’s name and his thing there in the Hall of Fame. But I think it’s pretty cool that 21 years ago today, my son was born, he’s 21, and it was just unique that we are getting a chance to play a team that I really love to compete against. Love to win. But I’ll be cheering for them next week.”
Dad’s football card
Schottenheimer was certain that his father and Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt were watching the Thanksgiving Day game together in heaven, as he told reporters. He then mentioned a special memento of his dad, who played linebacker for two NFL teams over six seasons.
It’s a trading card of his father when he played for the Boston Patriots.
“During the game in the last couple of games, I carry this,” Schottenheimer told reporters. “It’s a football card of my dad in my pocket, and I’m still connected with him. And when times are a little bit difficult, I talk to him, and now I can feel his presence with me holding that football card.
“Actually, my aunt and uncle gave it to me in Carolina, and I’ve started carrying it with me. ... But it just reminds me, I want to make him proud. I want to make him proud. I think he’s a legendary football coach, but like I said, he was an incredible and better person and father and leader of men.”
That card likely came from Kurt Schottenheimer, who was a Chiefs coach from 1989 to 2000.
“No. 57. Boston Patriots,” Brian Schottenheimer said of the trading card. “So yeah, kind of cool.”
Schottenheimer, who is in his first season as the Cowboys’ head coach, was the team’s offensive coordinator the previous two seasons. Earlier in his career, he also had been an offensive coordinator with the Rams, Jets and Seahawks.
There are new challenges as a first-time coach, but he can still lean on his father.
“I talk to him, obviously, during the national anthem,” Schottenheimer said. “That’s a moment that I can kind of talk to God and I talk to him and I talk to him before the game. I’m just blessed, guys. I mean, I really am. To be raised by the mom and dad that I had and to be able to grow up in this league and how special this league is. It’s just beyond blessed.”
Dallas broadcaster Jeff Kolb shared the full video on X.
This story was originally published December 1, 2025 at 9:28 AM.
