FRISCO -- The first time Cowboys rookie Joel Lanning played linebacker, he wondered what the heck he was doing.
"I didn't really know if I could tackle," Lanning said from minicamp last month. "Or didn't know my expectations, I should say."
Lanning had scored 34 touchdowns as Iowa State's quarterback in 2015-16. Then he moved to linebacker his senior year and recorded 114 tackles, six sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery.
In Iowa State's upset of No. 3 Oklahoma last year, Lanning rushed nine times for 35 yards, completed two passes for 25, recorded eight tackles and recovered a third-quarter fumble.