Whitney Houston probably doesn’t come up in many of the phone calls when NFL teams notify their first-round draft picks of their selection. But the singer did on Thursday night when the Dallas Cowboys let Alabama guard Tyler Booker know he’d been chosen at No. 12 in the 90th NFL Draft.
In mentioning Houston, Booker referenced his visit with the Cowboys and Brian Schottenheimer in the pre-draft process while talking with the Dallas coach by phone on Thursday night.
“You blew us away in the process, brother,” Schottenheimer told Booker. “Here’s what we need: You just come here, be you. You kick ass. Welcome to the family. We’re so excited. We just want that same dude every day.”
“Yes, sir,” Booker replied. “You’re going to get it, as long as we can listen to that Whitney Houston you was listening to that day.”
Schottenheimer was asked about the Houston reference at the Cowboys’ post-first round press conference on Thursday night.
“I don’t remember exactly what we were doing,” Schottenheimer said. “We weren’t dancing, that’s for damn sure, although I did see him when he ran out onto the stage (at the draft). He had some good moves, so that shows the athleticism. But I’m a big music guy. It was early in the morning, and I was getting us both to wake up a little bit.”
Booker got the word that he was joining the Cowboys from team owner and general manager Jerry Jones, who reminded Booker that he, too, had been a college offensive lineman. Jones played at Arkansas.
