Underrated, but certainly not underappreciated.

He doesn’t show up in the highlights, box scores, or game recaps every week. He’s not a face you’d recognize on the sidelines. If most people were asked who he was, they probably wouldn’t know. But, if they were told all of his responsibilities, they’d more than likely think he was pretty important.

And he is. He’s a part of every play, every touchdown, every kick. He’s got a big part in every forced fumble, sack, broken tackle, and big play. If Dallas has a big year on defense, he’s going to deserve a lot of credit for what he does, but he may instantly get it from many outside of the locker room. And if they have a big year on offense, he’s going to deserve the same amount of credit.

Who is he? None other than strength and conditioning coach Joe Juraszek.

If the offensive line is keeping hungry defensive linemen off of Tony Romo and the running backs, he‘s a part of it. If Marcus Spears is bursting past a helpless offensive lineman to lay a hit on a quarterback, he’s a part of it.

He’s gotten a lot of praise for what he’s done to help the defense slim down, tone up, and beef up for the first season in the Wade Phillips version of the 3-4, where speed, size, and strength are the keys to a dominant, aggressive defense, instead of just being big, big, and big.

The starting defensive line has already experienced a great change, with Jason Ferguson, Chris Canty, and Spears all shaping up for the new defense. Ferguson and Canty haven’t had to do as much shedding weight as they have beefing and toning up, while Spears has been busying shedding pounds off of what was a 315-pound frame.

All of the linebackers have worked on getting themselves in tip-top shape, from the starters to the backups. The linebacking corps has the potential to be one of the best in the league, and with slimmer, faster bodies, they’ll be able to rack up the tackles and sacks.

Even Roy Williams is getting his weight down in order to optimize his effectiveness in both pass rushing and pass coverage.

And, the offensive line, one of the biggest in the NFL, isn’t just a bunch of buffet blitzers. He’s in charge of making sure those guys can hold their own on every down, every game. If there’s one group that needs more than anything to not just be strong but be in the right shape, it’s the O-line. Lineman have been getting bigger in recent years, and for some, the weights are spiraling out of control. That’s something that Juraszek has to make sure doesn’t happen to his line, and he has.

He’s not only responsible for keeping people fit, he’s also responsible for helping players return from injury.

He may well never be a head coach, but he’s as important as one.

And, he’s been the one constant, besides anyone in the front office, through the end of the Barry Switzer days, through Chan Gailey’s short tenure, the woeful Dave Campo era, on to the Bill Parcells days, and now to the new Wade Phillips’ regime. In a day where you more often than not see people come and go just like that, Juraszek has been around for a decade, and seen it all. And, while he’s tailored his programs to each coach’s needs and wants, he’s always kept the players’ individual needs in mind first and foremost. That’s why you don’t have to worry too much when the injury bug hits like it has in the preseason, because Juraszek is doing all he can to ensure the players return to full strength as quickly as possible.

The preseason is a time when Juraszek is most important, not only because he’s helping the players get themselves in shape for the grueling 16-game season, when their bodies will be susceptible to wear and tear, but also because he has to make sure the players’ bodies are in shape to stand up to the blazing heat during the Valley Ranch portion of camp. After the deaths of Korey Stringer and Thomas Herrion and so many other deaths on the college and high school level related to the summer weather or health-related issues, having the players well-conditioned has been made all the more necessary, not just for the sake of their livelihoods, but their lives.

So, all in all, if Dallas has a big year, thank Joe Juraszek. You may not be able to have him on your fantasy team, but he is certainly worth a lot of points every week.