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From their first summer together, Beane saw part of himself in Schoen. It’s what initially drew him to his second-in-command. And it’s why, in part, Schoen was able to transition from NFL outsider nearly 20 years ago to one of the most trusted voices inside the Bills organization. |
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Joe Schoen begins his days now in Orchard Park by getting into the building around 4:30 a.m. By the time he’s finished his daily workout, showered and sitting down to work, it’s around 6. It’s those early hours, he says, when he can focus and get things done before others start trickling in and before the challenges of each day present themselves. |
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“Joe is the greatest intern I ever had,” Beane said. “He was one of those guys that, he got penalized because he was good. … We had a coach that, if coffee wasn’t made by 5:30 in the morning, he was bitching at training camp. So, a couple of times some interns were late getting there — it was like 5:45, and I’m hearing this coach grumble about it. “So I finally said to Joe, ‘You go do it every day.’ Well, that wasn’t fair to him, but I didn’t want my ass chewed. I knew it was getting handled, so I gave it to Joe.” |
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In Carolina, Schoen began as a scouting assistant in 2001. From there, the Panthers promoted him to a combine scout in 2002 and then to area scout for the next five seasons. After seven years in Carolina, Schoen left the Panthers bubble, and his good friend Beane, for the first time. When Jeff Ireland and Bill Parcells went to Miami in 2008, they hired Schoen as a national scout with the Dolphins “I was impressed with Joe because he was a sharp guy,” Parcells said, “and he had a good thought process when it came to evaluating players.” Schoen moved up the Dolphins ladder gradually, from national scout to assistant college director in 2013. The only position he leap-frogged was to director of player personnel in 2014 when Dennis Hickey took over as GM. “I take pride in that,” Schoen said. “I think that’s important. When you start from the bottom, when you start doing the grunt work … you really learn the nuances. Now when I’m managing my area scouts, I know what they’re going through. I know what it’s like to be on the road for two weeks and away from your family. Fifteen reports one night at Alabama, the next day you’re at Auburn, you’ve got 15 more. Those are long nights, and you’ve got a day to get your information. It’s difficult.” |
