In the modern NFL, speed is a paramount attribute for success, a lesson Cowboys’ personnel executive Will McClay learned early from his father, Melvin.
“Football is a game of leverage and angles,” McClay stated, crediting his father with instilling this understanding. “Leverage and angles, that’s speed, right? I didn’t go into math class, I went straight to P.E., but there’s some principles that I learned, right?”
He elaborated, “The faster that you can play, the faster you can get from point A to point B, the quicker you can make things happen.”
Beyond physical velocity, McClay emphasized the critical role of processing speed in gaining on-field advantages.
“It’s the old saying: Speed kills,” McClay remarked. “If you know what you’re doing, if you understand where your weaknesses are, if you know that if you’re on top of things, if you play fast, people don’t want to play fast. People don’t want to play physical. If you can do it down after down after down, you impose your will on people, and you have to condition for that.”
While physical speed is readily apparent on game film, evaluating toughness presents a greater challenge, yet it remains an equally vital trait for McClay and the Cowboys association.This raises the question of how toughness is assessed.
“The guys are going to be put in situations that you’ve got to make a decision to put your face on somebody else, you got to make that decision to do that tough thing,” McClay explained. “The more opportunities we put you in that situation, or view you in those environments, that’s when I can tell if you can do it or not.”
Thes situations and environments extend beyond the football field.
“We have to evaluate everything, and so there are key moments,” McClay saeid.”There’s little things like guys being in, even the chow hall, you watch them. Who picks up their plate? You’re looking for all these different things, when he gets out there on the field, it’s those instances where, hey, that’s a tough situation, and he made the decision to do that.”
This extensive evaluation process, both on and off the field, continues for McClay and his staff as the Cowboys progress through their training camp in Oxnard, with the 2025 season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles approximately 40 days away.