July 11, 1963 - Optimism was the password as general manager Tex Schramm of the Dallas Cowboys, head coach Tom Landry (pictured last October with Don Meredith), assistant coaches, and other club officials flew in to Los Angeles today. The Cowboys will play the Rams in a charity game Aug. 8 at the Los Angeles Coliseum. “I’m real high on our chances this season,” Landry said. “This is our fourth camp, but the first one where we’re starting with the nucleus of a complete team.” Dallas, with a 5-8-1 record last year, finished fifth in the Eastern Division of the NFL. “We want to be up there in the top group this year, with a chance to shoot for the championship,” Landry continued. “Our offense looks good enough if we just maintain our momentum of 1962. Even on defense, I’m optimistic. Five rookies started on defense last year. With a season behind them, they should be much better. Deals we’ve made and rookies we’ve signed should help too.” The Cowboys harbor high hopes for three rookie linebackers — Lee Roy Jordan of Alabama, Jim Price of Auburn, and Harold Hays of Mississippi Southern. Owner Schramm also is tickled that the American Football League entry has moved from Dallas to Kansas City. “The whole atmosphere is different now that there’s no more of that bitter rivalry,” he remarked. “One result is that we already have sold more season tickets than our total season sales in 1962.”
