Who is the mythic Will McClay, whose influence is felt in the Cowboys' innermost circles when it comes to scouting? Take a look at 10 things you might not know about the Dallas Cowboys senior director of college and pro personnel:

1. Sticking with Dallas

The Detroit Lions pushed hard to pry him away from the Cowboys to be their general manager, but McClay chose to stay and honor his contract with Dallas.

"We certainly think highly of Will and what we've put together back there in the scouting department," Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told KRLD-FM 105.3 The Fan. "I think he feels like there's unfinished business and wants to be here. So it's certainly a compliment to us that he's not interested in interviewing to be a general manager this year.

"But at the same time, I know and we know that he's certainly very capable and one of the up-and-coming bright stars in this league."

In addition to his current position listed above, McClay has also served as the Cowboys' pro scouting coordinator from 2009-10 and the director of football research from 2011-13.

2. So what does he do, exactly?

We'll let Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett explain that one:

"Will does a really good job facilitating all of that communication and making sure we're all on the same page about how we see the player and what his role will be and that's invaluable," Garrett said to SportsDay's Jon Machota. "Making sure everyone is aligned is critical and communicating, overcommunicating, challenging each other, that's all part of the personnel process, and he does a really good job in his role."

3. How he's vital to the draft

Typical Jason Garrett. Vague about everything.

The following is from a SportsDay story from May 2014. It focuses on McClay's importance to the draft:

Terry Gray, a scouting consultant for the Cowboys, said in 2014 that McClay is "going to provide Stephen and Mr. Jones with the very best information, the very best players, the very best evaluation, the very best research that he can possibly come up with.

"I think that anybody, whether it be Mr. Jones, Stephen or anybody in another corporation, is going to respond to that, to the very best that's available to them. Will is an incredibly detail-oriented person. His work ethic is really unbelievable. And he is very, very intelligent. He is probably too smart for his own good sometimes."

4. How he ended up with the Cowboys

Chicago Enforcers back Troy Saunders dives on Orlando Rage back Hassan Shamsid-Deen (30) to recover the the ball in the 'Dash for the ball' before the new XFL league opening game at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, 03 February, 2001. The 'Dash for the ball' is conducted in place of a coin toss that decides which team will kick off. (TONY RANZE / AFP)

McClay joined the Cowboys organization in 2002 after myriad stints on all levels of the game, including one year as the director of player personnel for the Orlando Rage of the XFL. He began coaching with various Arena Football League teams in 1993, finally making it to an NFL staff in 2001 when he was assistant director of pro scouting with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

5. More on the XFL

McClay was the director of player personnel with the XFL's Orlando Rage, helping the club win the league's only Eastern Conference championship with an 8-2 record. The Rage, however, lost in the opening round of the playoffs to the San Francisco Demons, 26-25.

The Rage's former head coach Galen Hall told SportsDay that he knew McClay was going to be successful because of his work ethic.

"I think he could see hidden talent that some people will not look for," Hall said. "He's willing to look anywhere."

6. Going to college

McClay attended Rice, where he played defensive back from 1985-88, parlaying a successful collegiate career into a four-year professional career with the AFL's Detroit Drive. He played wide receiver and defensive back for the Drive, winning three ArenaBowl titles.

7. The AFL

His first coaching stint was with the Drive of the AFL, the first of six AFL teams he worked for before ending his AFL coaching career in 2008 with the demise of the Dallas Desperados. He also spent time with the Milwaukee Mustangs, Florida Bobcats, Anaheim Piranhas and the Grand Rapids Rampage.

8. The Desperadoes

Clint Stoerner the QB for the Desperados gets the next play from head coach Will McClay. The Dallas Desperados played the Philadelphia Soul in Arena Football at the American Airlines Center on Sunday May 22, 2005. (MILTON HINNANT)

McClay compiled a 54-24-1 record in five seasons with the Dallas Desperados and was named the 2006 AFL Coach of the Year. The Desperados made the playoffs in his final three years, finishing with the best record in the league (15-1) in 2007.

9. Notable players he's brought to Dallas

When he was the Cowboys' director of football research, his main job was to scout players on the 31 opposing teams in the league. Some of the best additions he brought in include Laurent Robinson, Tony Fiammetta, Ernie Sims, George Selvie, Nick Hayden and Rolando McClain.

10. More on his work ethic

Gray told ESPN the following about McClay and how he does his job so well.

"There is not a magic formula," Gray told ESPN. "It's just good, old-fashioned bust-your-ass hard work and lots and lots of tape. Lots of calls. Lots of research. Just looking at thousands of players until you find one you think fits for you. He's just got a very unique way knowing a football player when he sees one. That's commonly described by a lot of people, but he just knows it at a different level. It's more than just everybody saying, 'He can't play.' It's Will finding guys that can play that no one considered.

"Will McClay is a machine. He's a film-watching, evaluating, researching machine. He just never stops and he will never stop."