Cowboys' Leighton Vander Esch on Dan Quinn: 'DQ Is Special!'

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch has high praise for defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, noting how the coach helped him improve his game

Dan Quinn is entering Year 3 as the Dallas Cowboys' defensive coordinator, and the work he's done so far has been exceptional. 

The Cowboys' defense was outright bad in 2020, one year before Quinn's arrival, allowing a franchise-record 473 points. Under Quinn's coaching, though, the defense has morphed into a formidable unit adept at getting to the quarterback and forcing turnovers. It's no coincidence that Quinn has interviewed for several coaching vacancies over the last two years, it's because he has simply done great work in Dallas.

Of course, no one knows Quinn's impact more than the players he coaches. Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch recently heaped praise on his defensive coordinator, showing appreciation for how much his game has improved under Quinn.

“DQ’s special," Vander Esch said via KTCK. "You’ve got to give him so much credit because the type of coach he is and the way he gets guys to play for him and the respect he has for you. It’s so mutual ... All the other coaches, all the assistant coaches are the exact same way. It gives you the feeling that you can just go out there and play, and play fast and play aggressive and not worry about anything else. That has a huge impact on how we play.”

In Vander Esch's eyes, part of what makes Quinn's coaching so effective is how much he asks of his players. It's a demanding system to play in, but that makes it so rewarding as well.

”That’s what makes his defense so special is everybody can play," Vander Esch said. "He tries to get guys who can play multiple positions. The more you can do, the more dynamic you are the more value you have. He preaches that day in and day out, obviously just your mentality and how you play the game, that’s going to speak for itself too. He has everybody playing aggressive and just playing fast and having fun.”

On a more personal note, Vander Esch added that this is the best he's felt health-wise during his NFL career. The 27-year-old has always been a key contributor for the Cowboys' defense, but has yet to reach the same highs he did when he had 140 tackles as a rookie in 2018. If he truly is feeling better than ever, then the Cowboys' Micah Parsons-led defense should be ecstatic.

It's also no stretch to say that Quinn's coaching has some part in Vander Esch's positive outlook as well.

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You can find Jonathan Alfano on Twitter @JonAlfano_News

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