Twenty five years after the September 11 attacks, the scar tissue of that day remains raw for millions of Americans. For Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer, the anniversary is not merely a historical marker but a visceral reminder of where he was and who he was with when the world shifted.
As the nation marks a quarter century since the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil, Schottenheimer’s memories offer a unique window into how sports and personal life intersected with national grief.
In a deeply personal press conference ahead of the Cowboys’ Sunday matchup, Schottenheimer became visibly emotional as he recounted the morning of September 11, 2001.
Brian Schottenheimer remembers the morning of September 11
At the time, he was a quarterbacks coach for the Washington Redskins, working under his father, legendary head coach Marty Schottenheimer. “Well, first of all, this is about honoring and remembering those that died. It’s about the heroes that ran towards the danger,” Schottenheimer said in his recent media availability. “I was in Washington when the Pentagon was hit. I’ll never forget it.”
What's New
The coach then described the surreal moment when the news broke. He was in the quarterback room, breaking down film, when his now wife, Gemmi, who was working on the marketing side, walked in. “She just said, ‘Hey, a plane just hit the World Trade Center,’ and it was a very emotional time.” What followed was a blur of canceled games and a nation in mourning.
A few days later, Schottenheimer and the team traveled to Arlington National Cemetery. The detour they took would etch itself into his memory forever.
source on Google Go here and check the box
next to Cowboys.news
“We pulled up and everybody started getting off the buses… and we kind of walked up a little hill, the entire team basically, and you could see the Pentagon and you could see the families and you could see the tents for people that were waiting to see if their loved ones would come out.” That image, of families waiting in agonizing hope outside a smoldering Pentagon, crystallized the human cost of the attack.
Schottenheimer’s connection to 9/11 is also deeply tied to New York, where he spent six seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Jets. “Obviously being in New York, I was in Garden City, where I lived with the Jets when we were in Hofstra, and that was where a number of people lost their lives. So it’s a very emotional time.”
The Jets’ facility in Hofstra was not far from the makeshift memorials that sprang up across Long Island, a constant reminder of the colleagues and neighbors who never came home.
A message for Cowboys players too young to remember 9/11
For Schottenheimer, sharing this history with his current players presents a unique challenge. “What’s unique about this is we talked to the guys a little bit about it, but a lot of these guys weren’t alive,” he said. “It’s been 25 years and a lot of these guys weren’t alive. And if they were, they were very, very young.”
It is a sobering reality that the Cowboys’ roster is now filled with young men for whom 9/11 is a chapter in a textbook rather than a lived experience. Yet Schottenheimer’s message is clear: the legacy of that day is one of resilience, sacrifice, and unity.
As the Cowboys prepared to take the field against the Giants, Schottenheimer acknowledged the weight of the moment. “Certainly, it will be a memorable night. I’ll say that.”
For him, coaching on this anniversary is not just about football; it is about carrying forward the memory of the heroes who ran toward danger and the families who waited in the shadow of the Pentagon. Twenty five years later, Brian Schottenheimer remains a witness, ensuring that the lessons of September 11 are never forgotten.
