Damone Clark on new Cowboys LB Marist Liufau: 'He's going to be one of them ones'
The Dallas Cowboys found themselves in a position no NFL team wants to be in last season: lacking linebacker depth. With third-round pick DeMarvion Overshown out with a torn ACL and former first-rounder Leighton Vander Esch out with a neck injury, Dallas learned to do more with less, but they aren’t making that mistake again this season.
Overshown is now on the rebound and though Vander Esch retired, the team managed to replace him by signing veteran Eric Kendricks in free agency. The Cowboys also drafted another third-round linebacker in Notre Dame’s Marist Liufau.
According to Liufau’s teammates, the rookie is coming along quickly as he barrels toward his first season in the league.
“It’s been going smooth[ly] for me,” Liufau told reporters during minicamp. “… Really just adjusting to things.
“I’d say the biggest adjustment is learning how to be a pro,” he added. “Just learning how to be a pro and, obviously, it’s a new environment — everything’s different. So [it’s about] creating your new routine. As you get here, as a rookie, find a routine that works for you.”
A big part of Liufau’s duties in the middle of the defense will be making sure everyone’s in the right position, which means knowing everyone’s roles backward and forward. The bulk of his energy is going into having the defense down pat.
“[I’m] learning my playbook,” Liufau said. “The faster I can create my routine, the faster I can get used to things and get going, and the more confident I’ll feel about my contributions on the field — whether it’s on special teams or defense.”
Liufau ready for Year 1 with Cowboys
Helping Liufau on his journey onto the field in his first season are Eric Kendricks and Damone Clark. Kendricks has played under defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer before and Clark is now a well-established piece of the scheme.
“Eric Kendricks and Damone Clark, they’ve been big mentors for me,” Liufau said. “Our room is pretty close.”
“He’s a sponge,” Clark said of Liufau. “He asks a lot of questions. He goes out there and does everything 110 percent. He gives his all on every play, and the sky’s the limit for him. Marist is going to be one of them ones.”
With mandatory minicamp and OTAs in the rearview, Liufau is now looking forward to six weeks off before training camp. He’ll travel back home to Hawaii, but his time away from DFW won’t be a vacation.
“First of all, stay in shape,” he said of his summer break plans. “I’ll be training back home in Hawaii. I have things set up for that. And making sure that, every day, I’m doing something to get better. It doesn’t have to be physical.
“It could just be looking at the playbook, but I wanna do something every day to get better in some way, shape or form.”
The Cowboys snagged Liufau with the No. 87 overall pick in the third round of the draft. He’s coming off of one of his best seasons for the Fighting Irish. In 12 games, he logged 44 tackles (23 solo), 6 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. He also had 2 pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.