Whatever it takes.

That's the slogan of Dallas Cowboys' safety Israel Mukuamu. Although now he uses it for his very own clothing brand, that's how the 22-year-old made it to the NFL.

Coming out of High School, Mukuamu was deemed a 3-star recruit by 247 Sports and the 47th-best safety in the 2018 class.

"I wasn't getting recruited as much, I remember going on Twitter and just (tagging) coaches, spamming their page, doing anything just to get their attention for them to watch my highlights," Israel told A to Z Sports Dallas Tuesday night on our nightly show Primetime.

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Well, the rallying cry earned Mukuamu a spot in the NFL after being drafted in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Cowboys. A versatile defensive back out of South Carolina, Izzy was to be used as a safety in Dan Quinn's defense.

"I definitely would say I like corner better, but I also like being a chess piece because it just shows the versatility. […] I take pride in that as well in being versatile," said Mukuamu, who doesn't believe his role as a safety is set in stone heading into next season.

Back in the 2021 preseason, Mukuamu was one of the biggest winners among the defensive backs. After promising reports on his play throughout camp, he even seized the best PFF grade for a rookie safety in the preseason.

His best performance came against the Jacksonville Jaguars when he racked up an interception, a pressure on a blitz, five tackles, and two defensive stops.

After that game, he talked about the speed of the game being the biggest challenge in his transition to the pros. When asked if that improved throughout the season, Israel replied "I think it got easier but it's easy to say when you're on the sidelines* just watching."

*Note: While Mukuamu was on the sidelines when the defense was on the field, he played in 43% of the Cowboys' special teams snaps, a unit that ranked 6th-best in the NFL per Football Outsiders' DVOA. 

Mukuamu touched on how important it was to keep Dan Quinn around for another year and summed up what makes the Assistant Coach of the Year so special.

"He's always in the room," Izzy pointed out. "Sometimes you'll be watching film with safeties or the DB group and he always asks us what we like and what we don't like so he can change."

"He always does stuff for us so we can be able to play faster and don't have to think so much."

Quinn's hands-on approach alongside Secondary Coach Al Harris' pro experience helped the Cowboys finish the season with the most interceptions in 2021. "I like (Harris a lot)," added Izzy. "He played in the NFL for a long time so when he talks I feel like everybody really listens."

The Dallas Cowboys aim to come back stronger on defense after finishing the season with the most takeaways, the third-highest success rate, and the third-highest EPA per play on the season.

And Israel Mukuamu is aiming to play a bigger role in it, a goal he's likely to attack with an all-in, whatever-it-takes approach.

The young Cowboys' defensive back also talked about Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, and how the Cowboys' defense became a very united group since training camp. You can catch the full interview on A to Z Sports Dallas Primetimehere.

Featured image via Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports