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Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
OXNARD, Calif. — If Marist Liufau was nervous, nobody knew it.
All eyes were on the Dallas Cowboys‘ rookie linebacker. He got used to that at Notre Dame, another national, if not international brand. But this was the NFL, and the third-round pick had questions to answer.
For a few minutes in time with so many important people watching him, he owned the moment.
This had nothing to do with his on-field ability. It had everything to do with his rendition of Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” in the rookie karaoke competition.
“I love country music,” Liufau said. “Chris Stapleton, definitely love his music.”
He was so good everybody wanted an encore. About a handful of times since opening night, he has belted out “Tennessee Whiskey.”
“You know what, I don’t know where it came from,” linebackers coach Scott McCurley said. “But he got up there with confidence and he ripped it. It was awesome.”
Liufau is trying to make the same impression on the field.
After the first preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said Liufau was better in practice leading into the contest.
“He’ll play good this week,” Zimmer promised.
Liufau’s performance in Saturday’s 27-12 preseason win against the Las Vegas Raiders offered a glimpse into what he could become. The official stat line credited him with just two tackles in 16 snaps, but coach Mike McCarthy said, “I definitely felt Marist tonight, he definitely flashed.”
On the second series, Liufau sliced through the line past starting guard Dylan Parham to drop Zamir White for a 1-yard gain. On second down, Liufau sprinted toward a scrambling Gardner Minshew and forced an early throwaway. On third down, Minshew missed wide receiver Jakobi Meyers on a short throw because of good coverage by Liufau.
“[Zimmer] definitely had some words to say to me to just play out there,” Liufau said. “And he knew first game — nerves were setting in — my first NFL game. Things like that. His advice to me was just cut it loose.”
Perhaps it helped that 14 members of his family were at Allegiant Stadium. His parents made a surprise visit to Oxnard, California, for a couple of training camp practices. They had seen him play at Notre Dame, but this was the first opportunity to see him with the star on the side of his helmet.
“They’re a lot of the reason I do what I do, and so making them proud is a big reason I made it to this league,” Liufau said.
To earn the on-field encore from Zimmer, like the meeting-room encore for “Tennessee Whiskey,” Liufau will have to continue to earn trust.
The Cowboys feel better about their linebacker corps this season than a year ago after DeMarvion Overshown was lost during the preseason to a torn ACL in his left knee. During the season, veteran Leighton Vander Esch was lost to a neck injury. He retired in March.
Now instead of converting safeties to linebacker, Zimmer has a crew he believes he can pair with Eric Kendricks in certain roles.
“I think he’s a thumper, but he understands coverage pretty well,” Zimmer said. “I think there’s some pressure things that we can do with him as well.”
During the draft process, Zimmer grew to love Liufau’s game. His visit to the Cowboys prior to the draft cemented the thinking of the coaching staff and organization. Liufau has played different linebacker spots this summer and has been one of the “green dots” for the coach-to-player communication system.
“Every day I feel more comfortable,” Liufau said. “Every day I’m putting more work into learning our scheme and being comfortable with our calls.”