Cowboys defensive lineman Albert Huggins tossed from drill after shoving of Rams staffer

The sparks were flying at Dallas Cowboys training camp practice on Wednesday as the team hosted the LA Rams for another joint practice. After the Rams beat Dallas by one point on Sunday, the Cowboys welcomed the team back for another practice and scrimmage, but, as expected, there was some tension.

Former Clemson defensive lineman Albert Huggins got an ear full and was reportedly ejected from a DL-versus-OL drill on Wednesday. Whether on purpose or naturally, he took his momentum on a QB rush right into one of the Rams staffers filling in at quarterback. Huggins shoved the staffer to the ground, leading to a rush of LA linemen moving to reprimand the defender.

Players and/or staffers can be heard in footage, snagged by Dallas Morning News‘ Calvin Watkins, saying things like, “What the f*** was that?” Even Rams head coach Sean McVay had to swoop in to diffuse the situation.

Tempers flared here when Albert Huggins clipped a coach and Sean McVay yelled a few things. A Rams player yelled the Cowboys don’t want to practice. pic.twitter.com/g5b5qwWenT

— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) August 14, 2024

Joint practices provide the perfect opportunity for players to start working out their practice aggression on players who aren’t teammates. Putting hands on an opposing player may catch some heat, but touch a staffer and the whole Rams offensive line is going to take issue, as Huggins learned.

Jerod Mayo has expert way of managing practice fights

This week, New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo revealed the key reason why he doesn’t like to have more than one joint practice with an opposing team in any given week.

“What I’ve seen over the years is that second day always get a lot more chippier. You go back and watch the film and say, ‘I didn’t see that.’  Then the next day something breaks out,” Mayo recalled on Tuesday. “We didn’t want that to happen. We’re out here as football players and not fighters. That is our message to the team.

“You don’t fight in a real game. If you fight in a real game you get fined, you kicked out. It’s the same thing happens here,” Mayo added.  

The first-year head coach, stepping into the legendary shoes of Bill Belichick, has an almost fool-proof way of keeping players from fighting on the practice field.

“If you fight and you’re a starter, you’re playing the whole preseason game. If you’re not a starter, you won’t play at all,” said Mayo. “That is my mindset with that.”

Losing an opportunity to show you belong on the 53-man roster should be enough to keep players in line. Though of course, there will always be some players finding ways to start trouble regardless.