On Thursday, the NFL Strength and Conditioning Coaches honored new Cowboys Strength and Conditioning Coach Mike Woicik. At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Woicik was voted NFL Strength Coach of 2010 for his work as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the 2010 New England Patriots.
This marked the third time Mike Woicik, the owner of six Super Bowl rings, was honored by his peers as the NFL Strength Coach of the Year. Woicik previously won the award in 1992 with the Dallas Cowboys and in 2004 with the New England Patriots. It may be more than pure coincidence that Mike Woicik's time in the NFL coincides with two dynasties - the Cowboys of the 90s and the Patriots of the 00s.
Here's an excerpt from the official press release:
"During his 1990-1996 tenure with the Dallas Cowboys he convinced owner Jerry Jones to invest in completely revamping the conditioning program and was known for keeping his team in the great health and condition that kept players on the field. Woicik earned three of his six Superbowl [sic] rings with the Cowboy organization then spent three years with the New Orleans Saints before heading to New England to earn another three."
If you had any remaining doubts that the 54-year old is an outstanding hire for the Cowboys after reading his bio, this latest honor should leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy about Woicik.
Todd Archer from ESPNDallas reported last week that the only assistant coach not present for the introduction of the new coaching staff last week was Woicik. True to form, he preferred to do his talking to the players instead of the press and was out training with his men.
Running game coordinator and offensive line coach Hudson Houck already feels all warm and fuzzy about Woicik, with whom he was on Cowboys’ staff from 1993-96.
"He’s just a grinder," Houck said. "One, I think he’s got great communication with the players because he’s got very good skill with what he does, and he’s very good knowledge at what he does. And that’s what a players want to hear. They want to know, ‘How can you help me?’ I mean at every position it’s that, right? How can you help me and they know he can help them because his history is pretty strong."
Even Jean-Jacques Taylor from the DMN was effusive in his praise of Woicik last week:
There's not a player he won't impact. His presence will make the Cowboys a stronger team. A faster team. A tougher team. Ultimately, he'll help make them a better team.