OXNARD, Calif. — As difficult as it might be to fathom, it's officially Year 11 for DeMarcus Lawrence, a former second-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2014, and one who entered the league under the tutelage of Tyrone Crawford as the latest talented defensive lineman out of Boise State; and now tasked with being that mentor in the locker room for the young talent.
The latest group is headlined by Marshawn Kneeland, a second-round pick himself, who is being thrust into the limelight as a rookie due to the season-ending torn ACL suffered by Sam Williams at the start of training camp in Oxnard.
Lawrence couldn't be more pleased with what the Western Michigan product is already showing throughout camp and the first two preseason outings.
"Our rook — he got taught pretty well coming up in college and in high school," said Lawrence. "I'm glad we got him. He's a hell of a draft pick for us. I feel like he's gonna help us out a lot this year."
The aforementioned mentoring doesn't stop at Kneeland though, also extending to other veterans, and that includes defensive tackle Jordan Phillips and defensive end Carl Lawson, both joining the Cowboys in late August via trade and free agency, respectively.
Lawrence was seen educating Lawson, a diaLawgue, if you will, on Mike Zimmer's scheme and responsibilities within the first few minutes of Lawson reporting to practice on Monday, and that's a testament to what the four-time Pro Bowler still means to the Cowboys' locker room.
A decade later, Lawrence is indeed the five-star general on Dallas' defense.
"I expect them to come to work each and every day, just like I expect that from the young guys and from myself also," said the former All-Pro pass rusher. "Just bringing their knowledge of the game to us — little things that we can get better at that they see, but we're also gonna help coach them up to make sure they're getting better each and every day."
As for himself, it's an offseason that hasn't featured any nagging issues physically and, along with the love and energy of his children, to his own admission, has helped keep his passion and fire for the game the equivalent to that of a forest fire.
And it's not going anywhere anytime soon.
"I feel great," Lawrence explained. "Just understanding what I've been through in the past and being able to adapt to the different things that my body has been through. Now that I'm a little seasoned, I can control those things — understanding when my body is hurting, to take a day off, or if it's just a little ache or pain, I'll push through it.
"… I haven't reached my goal in the NFL yet, and my goal is a Super Bowl. And I feel like that passion won't leave until the body leaves first."
It's a defensive unit expected to take leaps forward under Zimmer (e.g., run defense) while not losing the positives of the Dan Quinn era (e.g., takeaways) and Lawrence's ability both as a player and as a leader will be paramount to the Cowboys' mission of being the last team standing in February.
That might feel as if it's a long ways off, but it's actually yesterday, and today, and tomorrow — hidden in every rep taken on the field and in every note taken in the meeting rooms.
Lawrence knows this better than most.
