The Dallas Morning News yesterday ran this interesting story about Dat Nguyen (pictured from his days as player) in his job as the assistant linebackers coach, a job that requires him to be teach the more experienced and very successful Zach Thomas what to do.
The situation is something of a role reversal.
Excerpts:
Nguyen remembers watching Thomas beat his Aggies with a 23-yard interception return for a touchdown with 30 seconds to play.
“You know what’s amazing?” Nguyen said. “The first day we’re on the field and I’m telling him about his footwork and it caught me off guard. ‘Man, this is the guy I used to emulate,’ and now I’m telling him what to do.’ But it’s been fun.”
Thomas is two years older than Nguyen and was picked in the fifth round by Jimmy Johnson in Miami in 1996. Nguyen was a third-round pick by the Cowboys in 1999.
The two are almost exactly the same size. Dat Nguyen is 5’11″ and weighed 243 pounds when he was playing. Zach Thomas 5’11″, 242 pounds. They were both in the Southwest Conference in college; Thomas at Texas Tech, Nguyen at Texas A&M.
Thomas is in his 13th year in the NFL, the first 12 with the Dolphins. Thomas has been selected for the Pro Bowl 7 times. Dat played 7 years for the Cowboys before knee and neck injuries forced him to retire.
Dat Nguyen returned to the Cowboys as an assistant coach last year, when Norv Turner became head coach, replacing the retiring Bill Parcells. The Dallas Morning News sports columnist Jean-Jacques Taylor (here) just raved about Nguyen in his new role.
