'Prettyunique':NFL rookie Luke Schoonmaker bonding with fellow CT native on Dallas Cowboys

Jul. 9—"I went out there a couple weeks after the draft and we went into our rookie minicamp," Schoonmaker said. "Then we kind of mixed in with the vets. I was doing workouts and OTAs, really starting to get intertwined with the rest of the team. Now we are on a little bit of a break so I am working out by myself."

He returned to attend the 29th annual NFL Players Weekend hosted by his agent and former high school coach, Joe Linta.

Also in attendance was another Connecticut native and Cowboys teammate, Tyler Coyle. Coyle went to Windsor High before playing at UConn. He eventually transferred to Purdue before becoming an undrafted free agent and joining the Cowboys.

"The opportunity is amazing, just two small town kids from Connecticut," Coyle said. "It means a lot and it says a lot honestly. Being from Connecticut, we don't get the exposure other states do. We still persevere and work as hard as anybody else, and we deserve respect."

Coyle was named to the GameTimeCT All-Decade high school football team, and has appeared in three games over two seasons for Dallas.

"It is pretty unique, it is exciting to be able to have something like that," Schoonmaker said. "Even going to Michigan from Connecticut is rare, but I think Connecticut has been continuously growing recruiting wise, and it is cool to see. To have a situation like me and (Coyle) at the highest level on the same team, I think it helps give Connecticut a good rep."

While Coyle is familiar with the modus operandi of the NFL, Schoonmaker is getting his feet wet.

"It is cool that they are together," Linta said. "I am excited for when they come up to play the Eagles and the Giants. I am sure there will be a lot of ticket requests for them and myself for those games.".

Schoonmaker currently appears as the third tight end on the Dallas depth chart. He is currently listed as questionable after sustaining a minor hamstring injury in OTAs.

"It has been really exciting just taking the next step from college to the pros," Schoonmaker said. "I have met so many great people and I love the organization. It honestly reminds me a lot of Michigan, I feel so fortunate and I feel like there really isn't a better place for me to be at."

Another useful element of Schoonmaker's landing spot is his reuniting with former Michigan teammate, Sean McKeon. The pair played two years together for the Wolverines.

"Sean is my boy," Schoonmaker said. "He was a great guy to look up to and to listen to in those two years and now he and I are back together. He is just such a great guy and is always willing to help and to have a good laugh. He has seen a lot, I think this is going on to year four for him now."

The biggest difference from an elite program like Michigan to the NFL? For Schoonmaker, it has been the details.

"Everything from the playbook to footwork, you have to really be on the ball all the time," Schoonmaker said. "Understanding the full picture of certain plays and the timing. It has been pretty crazy to come into that. We had a big emphasis on a lot of these things at Michigan, very detailed, but to see now that there is even a further step forward than that, it is pretty crazy."

Schoonmaker has an opportunity to see game action as a rookie, though nothing is guaranteed as he has to climb over Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot on the depth chart.

Still, the 24-year old Hamden Hall graduate had a strong final season at Michigan, as he caught 35 passes for 418 yards and three touchdowns to earn his second All-Big Ten selection.

"I want to have a big impact in this offense and continue to build my relationship with Dak (Prescott)," Schoonmaker said. "Really get comfortable with everybody and be somebody that the coaches can really put their trust in. I want to make a big impact this season, right out of the gate. I am excited to get started."

In the first few weeks of his career, he is occasionally exposed to moments reflection.

"I do catch myself sometimes thinking 'Oh wow, I am here on the Cowboys and I have really reached this level with the best guys in the world,' " Schoonmaker said. "It is funny too because I grew up a Patriots fan, so we have Stephon Gilmore on our team. It is crazy walking by him and getting to know him, he was like one of my favorite players to watch when I was little. Now to be on the same team as him, it is so cool."

In a very genuine sense, Schoonmaker does owe a good portion of his success to Linta.

Linta has been ever present in Schoonmaker's career since he was his high school coach at Hamden Hall. Back then, Schoonmaker was a quarterback.

"I am not surprised that Luke (Schoonmaker) ended up where he is," Linta said. "You could tell when he was in high school what a phenomenal athlete he is. Other than my own son signing with the Chiefs a few years ago, this is probably the most proud moment I have had. If I did one good thing for him, it was to identify that he was an NFL caliber tight end prospect and not a quarterback. He was a very good quarterback, but I just saw NFL tight end in him."

Said Schoonmaker, "I am just so thankful for (Linta). I put my trust in him because I was a quarterback back in the day. I loved the quarterback position but he thought my ceiling would be even higher at tight end, so I took his word for it and I am here now. He has been around the game so much and he really does know what is best."

Linta is also Coyle's agent, and he expects the third year veteran to have a breakout season.

"Tyler (Coyle) has been hanging on there right at the varsity level to be on the active roster," Linta said. "I think this is going to be his year to be really good."

NFL preseason games begin in a month on August 10th. In the meantime, Schoonmaker will enjoy the time he gets back home, where he can eat Pepe Pizza in New Haven on Sundays after church, which he favors over Sallys.

"I'll sometimes run into friends I went to school with or parents and families that I know, and they are just so proud of me," Schoonmaker said. "It is a really good feeling to have people that you grew up with who still follow you. It is a really happy feeling when you can experience something like that, and it can be motivational too, knowing that I am fortunate enough to be where I am at."

The New York Giants will host the two Connecticut natives and their Cowboys teammates on September 10th, a game where a few life long Giants fans are likely to find themselves rooting for a sliver of their long time rivals.

"It just goes to show all the hard work that people are putting in," Coyle said. "A lot of outside people are starting to come to Connecticut to see what we've got. There are a lot of talented athletes here, we deserve the respect that a lot of other states get."