{"id":423893,"date":"2026-09-02T11:58:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T11:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/423893\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T11:58:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T11:58:10","slug":"cowboys-icon-air-force-vet-blends-passions-in-frisco-boot-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/423893\/","title":{"rendered":"Cowboys icon, Air Force vet blends passions in Frisco boot camp"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Dallas<\/p>\n

Dallas Cowboys legend Chad Hennings shares his inspiring story as the Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n

FRISCO\u00a0\u2014 As a three\u2011time Super Bowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys<\/a>, Chad\u00a0Hennings has long commanded the admiration of thousands of fans across North Texas and beyond.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

On a recent afternoon at The Star in Frisco, the former defensive lineman and Air Force pilot <\/a>added a new group of admirers to his collection\u00a0\u2014 one made up of men and women who understand discipline, sacrifice and service as deeply as he does.<\/p>\n

Before the start of the USAA Salute to Service NFL Boot Camp, Hennings gathered 100 Dallas\u2011area military members at midfield inside the Cowboys\u2019 indoor practice facility.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The event, now in its fourth year, brings together service members from bases across Texas and other states for a rare opportunity: to train like NFL prospects under the guidance of a Super Bowl champion, who also happens to be a decorated Air Force pilot.<\/p>\n

Standing among the troops, Hennings\u00a0\u2014 who flew more than 50 combat missions during his military career\u00a0\u2014 delivered words meant to inspire. His voice carried easily through the cavernous fieldhouse, but his message resonated even more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI flew my last mission in northern Iraq in \u201992, and I played in the Super Bowl the same year,\u201d he told the group, drawing nods from soldiers, airmen and Marines who understood the weight of balancing duty with ambition.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His story, he reminded them, is proof that two seemingly distant worlds\u00a0\u2014 military service and professional sports\u00a0\u2014 can coexist.<\/p>\n

\"Dallas<\/p>\n

Dallas Cowboys legend Chad Hennings, center left, listens alongside military members receiving instructions on some of the NFL drills they will be competing in as the Dallas Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills with Cowboys legend Chad Hennings and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n

Hennings\u2019 path to the NFL was anything but conventional. He played college football for Air Force, becoming one of the most dominant defensive players in program history. But upon graduating from the Academy, he faced an obligation to enter active duty, even though the Cowboys had selected him in the 11th round of the 1988 NFL draft.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

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For most players, that would have been the end of the dream. For Hennings, it was simply a delay.<\/p>\n

After commissioning, he fulfilled his service commitment, flying missions and advancing through the ranks. But in 1992, as the Air Force underwent a post\u2013Gulf War reduction in force, Hennings saw an opening.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He returned to Dallas for a tryout to see whether he could still compete in the NFL after a four\u2011and\u2011a\u2011half\u2011year layoff.<\/p>\n

His performance impressed head coach Jimmy Johnson, who told him the team wanted him and asked how soon he could join.<\/p>\n

Hennings saluted, flew back to his base in England, and immediately submitted the necessary paperwork.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Three weeks later, he was out of the Air Force and back in the United States preparing for his first Cowboys training camp.<\/p>\n

He flew his final mission over northern Iraq in 1992 \u2014 and played in the Super Bowl that same year.<\/p>\n

That duality\u00a0\u2014 service and sport\u00a0\u2014 is what struck Fatima Palmer, an Army recruit whose parents are Mexican.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Palmer said she became a Cowboys fan as a little girl, watching games on television with her father. Standing inside the team\u2019s practice facility brought those memories rushing back.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing here and doing this at the Cowboys\u2019 practice facilities brings back such nice memories,\u201d she said. Hennings\u2019 story, she added, reminded her that \u201cit doesn\u2019t matter where you come from, anything is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Palmer and the rest of the troops soon headed onto the field to participate in the same drills college prospects complete at the NFL Scouting Combine: the 40\u2011yard dash, broad jump, three\u2011cone shuttle, receiving gauntlet and the quarterback arm challenge.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Kevin<\/p>\n

Kevin Tenezaca, of the Army, competes in a running drill warm-up session. The Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills with Cowboys legend Chad Hennings and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n

For many, it was a chance to test their athleticism. For others, it was simply a moment to enjoy camaraderie outside the rigid structure of military life.<\/p>\n

The frenetic 60 minutes of activity unfolded under Hennings\u2019 supervision.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His imposing 6\u2011foot\u20116 frame moved from one end of the field to the other as he watched the troops closely, offering tips on how to refine their technique.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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For Hennings, now 60, the moment represented the fusion of his two great passions: football and flying military aircraft.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m one of those individuals who had the opportunity to experience both,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s why I say it was an easy transition for me to go from active\u2011duty military to playing for the Cowboys. A lot of the same traits apply: mission focus, purpose, playing with your teammates, communicating with your teammates. All of those traits.\u201d<\/p>\n

The troops felt that connection, too. Vincent Coco, an E\u20113 private first class, said the drills at The Star resembled his daily routine at Fort Hood.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the stuff we did here today is stuff we do on a daily basis,\u201d Coco said. \u201cWe\u2019re always going out for a run, always putting on our plate carriers and going on weighted runs. So a lot of this resembles what we do. At least for me, it\u2019s just another day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Tyler<\/p>\n

Tyler Cazy, from the Army, bolts from the starting line in the 40-yard dash challenge. He finished in 5.12 seconds. The Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills with Cowboys legend Chad Hennings and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n

Hennings won Super Bowls XXVII, XXVIII and XXX with Dallas.<\/a> As a 26\u2011year\u2011old rookie, he played on special teams and quickly became a key reserve in one of the best defensive line rotations in the NFL.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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He spent nine seasons with the team before retiring after injuries sidelined him for half of the 2000 season.<\/p>\n

At The Star in Frisco, surrounded by service members who understood that pursuit intimately, Hennings found himself back in the middle of a team\u00a0\u2014 not wearing a helmet or a flight suit, but offering the same lessons that carried him from the skies over Iraq to the biggest stage in American sports.<\/p>\n

\u201cFootball and a career in the armed forces share the same objective,\u201d Hennings said. \u201cA training mission, a combat mission, or a game\u00a0\u2014 ultimately leading to the Super Bowl. You want to be the best of the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Jacob<\/p>\n

Jacob McGuff, center, was quite surprised to be presented a signed Dallas Cowboys Jake Ferguson game jersey by Dallas Cowboys legend Chad Hennings, left as Mark Cook, USAA\u2019s Military Affairs representative joins in with the presentation. McGuff won the jersey after his ticket was drawn for a door prize. The Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills with Cowboys legend Chad Hennings and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News\"Crystal<\/p>\n

Crystal Whitley, right, was elated to hear her ticket number read as a door prize winner as she nabbed a coveted game jersey signed by Dallas Cowboy kicker Brandon Aubrey. Ryder Kell, Cowboys Manager, Corporate Partnership marketing, Ryder Kell, left, made the presentation as Mark Cook, Military Affairs representative at USAA, shares in the excitement. The Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills with Cowboys legend Chad Hennings and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News\"Mark<\/p>\n

Mark Cook, upper center, Retired Army Sergeant Major Military Affairs representative for USAA, speaks with military participants in the boot camp events. The Dallas Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills with Cowboys legend Chad Hennings and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News\"Fernanda<\/p>\n

Fernanda Garza, of the Army, finishes the 3-cone shuttle challenge event. The Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills with Cowboys legend Chad Hennings and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News\"Zack<\/p>\n

Zack Simpkins, of the Air Force, netted a broad jump of 7\u20191\u2019\u2019 during one of the skill challenge stations. The Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills with Cowboys legend Chad Hennings and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News\"Smoky,<\/p>\n

Smoky, a female black lab which serves as the 4-legged mascot for USAA, appears to have been drawn to a scent in the end zone, possibly from CeeDee Lamb\u2019s cleats, as she is accompanied by her trainer, Chris Espinoza. The Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills with Cowboys legend Chad Hennings and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News\"Paola<\/p>\n

Paola Rivera (Army) bolts from the starting line as she competes in the 40-yard dash drill. The Dallas Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills with Cowboys legend Chad Hennings and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News\"Jaryn<\/p>\n

Jaryn Adams (Army) sprints from the start in the 40-yard dash event as The Dallas Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills with Cowboys legend Chad Hennings and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News\"Jacob<\/p>\n

Jacob McGuff (Air Force) prepares to launch a pass downfield during the QB Arm Challenge. The Dallas Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills with Cowboys legend Chad Hennings and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News\"Military<\/p>\n

Military members stretch before competing in a QB Arm Challenge event as the Dallas Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills with Cowboys legend Chad Hennings and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News\"Smoky,<\/p>\n

Smoky, a female black lab, listens intently to the direction of her trainer as the USAA\u2019s 4-legged mascot was in attendance as the Dallas Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills with Cowboys legend Chad Hennings and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News\"Dwayne<\/p>\n

Dwayne Powell (Army) takes a breather between drills as the Dallas Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills with Cowboys legend Chad Hennings and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News\"Dallas<\/p>\n

Dallas Cowboys legend Chad Hennings, center in third row, poses for a photo as the Dallas Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills with former Cowboys defensive lineman Chad Hennings and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News\"Dallas<\/p>\n

Dallas Cowboys legend Chad Hennings shares his inspirational story as the Dallas Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News\"Dallas<\/p>\n

Dallas Cowboys legend Chad Hennings shares a bit of his inspiring life story of how he went from a decorated career in the Air Force to a legendary career in the NFL. The Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills with Cowboys legend Chad Hennings and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News\"Dallas<\/p>\n

Dallas Cowboys legend Chad Hennings shares his inspiring story as the Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based military members the opportunity to participate in NFL drills and compete for game tickets. The exclusive event was held inside Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, on August 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dallas Cowboys legend Chad Hennings shares his inspiring story as the Cowboys and USAA hosted 100 Dallas area-based…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":423894,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[732,160,162,161,93042,88229,89494],"class_list":["post-423893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-plano","tag-article","tag-plano","tag-plano-headlines","tag-plano-news","tag-tp-dallas-cowboys","tag-tp-nfl","tag-tp-the-star-in-frisco"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423893","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=423893"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423893\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/423894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=423893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=423893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=423893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}