For the Cowboys, it's hard to match the hours put in by the team's equipment staff. And for that, along with other key factors, they were named 2023 NFC Equipment Team of the Year, an award presented by New Era.
The squad, led by equipment director Mike McCord, along with equipment manager Bucky Buchanan and assistant manager Dylan Keane, were honored at the NFL owners meeting last month in Orlando.
The award, which is championship belt that is reminiscent of boxing or professional wrestling, is presented to an AFC and NFC team with the Cowboys winning for the first time.
"Anytime you're honored by your peers and by the NFL, it's a great award," said McCord. "Obviously there's a lot of hard work that goes into this. Many different people involved in this, from our interns to Bucky and Dylan and myself, and getting cooperation from the support staff, Yeah, it's a huge honor and one we're very appreciative that we won."
McCord credited head coach Mike McCarthy as a big reason for the award, considering the New Era sponsor weighs in sideline apparel as one of the factors in determining the annual winners.
"If your head coach doesn't wear a hat or wears the wrong hat, it's a bid aspect because we get so much TV coverage," McCord said. "Coach McCarthy has always been awesome in wearing whatever hat we put in his locker. So that's a big aspect of it – the head coach."
McCord said he called McCarthy right away after hearing of the award. When McCarthy was in Green Bay, the Packers' equipment staff won the award multiple times.
As for the Cowboys' equipment staff, McCord will enter his 36th season with the team. Buchanan will be in his 30th year and Keane has been with the Cowboys' equipment staff since 2012.
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