Leighton Vander Esch reveals when he bought into Dan Quinn

It didn’t take Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch long to know Dan Quinn was the right man to lead the Dallas defense into battle.

According to Jon Machota of The Athletic, the former first round selection know from Day 1 that Quinn was capable of bringing the Cowboys success.

“That was the first day I met him. Absolutely. I don’t think it takes much more than that,” stated Vander Esch regarding when he bought into Quinn, via Machota. “His energy, character & personality is very contagious. The way he can capture a room in seconds. .. It’s super fun to be around.”

Under Quinn’s guidance, Vander Esch had his best season since his star-turning rookie year. In 2022, the former Boise State star registered 77 total tackles, one sack, one interception and two pass deflections.

Evidently, Leighton Vander Esch is getting back to what made Cowboys fans so excited about his potential early on in his career. With Dan Quinn calling the shots, the sky is the limit for the exciting linebacker.

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Moreover, the Dallas Cowboys upped their commitment to Leighton Vander Esch earlier this offseason, agreeing to a new contract with linebacker in March, who explored the open market once NFL free agency originally opened.

“Source: The #Cowboys have agreed to terms on a 1-year deal with LB Leighton Vander Esch,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweeted at the time. “Their former first round pick is back.”

Moreover, Vander Esch totaled 188 tackles across his three-year collegiate career at Boise State. In his final year in 2017, Vander Esch played in 14 games, where he racked up 141 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions, four forced fumbles, and five passes defended. The Cowboys selected Vander Esch in the first round with the 19th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.

As a rookie in 2018, Vander Esch burst onto the scene. In 2018, he totaled 140 tackles with two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, and two interceptions along with seven passes defended. He was named a second team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler as a rookie. The next two years were plagued by injuries for Vander Esch, as he played in 19 games over the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

After the aforementioned return to prominence last season for Leighton Vander Esch, the Cowboys are hoping for more of the same moving forward out of the linebacker.