Dak Prescott
DALLAS COWBOYS
| Position | College | Years in the NFL |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterback | Mississippi State University | 7 |
Excellence on the Field:
The Cowboys picked Prescott out of Mississippi State in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Dak was thrust into the starting lineup after Tony Romo suffered an injury during preseason and ended up leading the Cowboys on an 11-game win streak, earning the NFC East Division crown. Dak set club rookie records and was the first rookie QB in team history named to the Pro Bowl and the first to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. He returned as the starter for 2017-2019 and began his fifth season (2020) explosively, leading all NFL passers in attempts, completions and passing yards before a devastating ankle injury ended his season. After intensely rehabbing the injury, Dak returned in full health for 2021, guiding Dallas' offense towards multiple wins, Offensive Player of the Week honors, career-high stats and a Wild Card berth. In 2022, Dak again faced adversity, suffering a hand injury in the season home opener against Tampa Bay which caused him to miss five games. Returning in Week 7, he led the team to a victory over the Lions and in Week 8 earned his 46th career 100.0 rating game in his win over the Bears.
Dedication & Commitment to Community Efforts This Year:
The unprecedented challenges of the past few years spurred Dak to broaden the mission of his Faith Fight Finish (FFF) Foundation, which now focuses on 4 main initiatives: colon cancer research, mental health and suicide prevention, bridging the gap between law enforcement the communities they serve, and offering assistance to those facing life-challenging hardships. Dak feels strongly about getting police to interact with their communities, so youth feel safe in their presence, and has made great strides this year in utilizing his million-dollar-pledge to help heal and unite. In May 2022, FFF hosted The North Texas Townhall in collaboration with the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers, where over 250 youth participated in a meaningful dialogue with law enforcement officers. FFF sponsors police-led youth workshops at local schools and recently hosted a Community & Cops Movie Night, in partnership with Crowley ISD and the Fort Worth Police Department. Dak's Law Enforcement Steering Committee is working to bring the CYCLE (Connecting Youth & Communities with Law Enforcement) training program to communities across the country, free of charge. This program delivers police a curriculum created to transform interactions with community members. At Dak's insistence, now includes mental health and community service components. FFF has sponsored four in-person "train the trainer" workshops for officers and has partnered with Lexipol to develop and distribute an online version of the program to law enforcement agencies across the country, all at no cost! Since losing his brother to suicide, Dak has championed those who battle mental illness by helping them to know that their lives matter. Dak made a promise that Jace's would be "a life taken to save millions." FFF has partnered with Solomon Thomas's The Defensive Line on programs that provide suicide prevention trainings for teachers that help connect students in crisis with the resources needed. FFF also collaborated with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to spread awareness that the National Suicide Prevention Hotline changed to a 3-digit number (988) in July 2022, making it more accessible for those in need. Dak continues the fight against the cancer in honor of his mother. In April 2022, he succeeded Roger Staubach as Co-Chair of the Children's Cancer Fund Gala, joining Troy Aikman to continue the fight against childhood cancer that Staubach led for more than 30 years. In addition to donating his time, Dak contributed more than $40,000 to childhood cancer research.
Dedication & Commitment to Community Efforts in Years Past:
Service to others has always been a constant in Dak's life. The list of his charitable efforts is long and varied, as he's always looking for new ways to support and empower his community. When Hurricane Ida devastated Dak's home state of Louisiana in August 2021, FFF sponsored a two-day event, delivering critical supplies to families affected by the storm, effectively helping hundreds of families facing hardship. When Hurricane Laura struck in August 2020, FFF worked directly with City Councilwoman Diane Conner from Vinton, Louisiana (where Dak's grandmother lived), to get help to those affected as quickly and efficiently as possible, and relief efforts have continued through the formation of the Vinton Hurricane Laura Recovery Project. The senseless murder of George Floyd in May 2020 served to highlight a long-ignored problem within our police departments. Dak lent his voice to the important dialogue that followed; penning a touching op-ed in which he vowed to take action to help rid our communities of racism, racial-profiling and hate by pledging one million dollars to police training, education and advocacy. When our country was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, FFF recognized critical areas of need and made grants totaling nearly $65,000 to a number of organizations providing necessary resources to first-responders and individuals most impacted by the health crisis. For the past four years, FFF has sponsored a just keep livin after school program in Dallas, one of 40 programs that reach more than 3000 kids in 14 cities across the nation, empowering them to reach their full potential by providing them with the tools to make healthy choices for a better future. Dak continues to support his buddy, Kendrell Daniels, an artist born without arms who learned to paint with his feet through acts like providing the extra assistance he needed while moving into college at Dak's alma mater, Mississippi State University. Dak's collaboration with Stand Up To Cancer is also close to his heart. Together with SU2C, FFF established the Peggy Prescott Early Career Scientist Award in Colorectal Cancer Research. The foundation awarded a first grant of $50,000 in 2019 and continues to fund these research programs today.
Positive Character & a Lifestyle of Giving Back:
Dak never forgets the adversity that served as his inspiration and paved the road to where he is today, and it shows in the way he chooses to give back. Dak has talked about remembering how hard it could be just to make ends meet when his mom was fighting cancer and going through treatment. He understands the struggle so many families face, which is why the individual giving pillar of his foundation means so much to him. FFF frequently champions individuals and families facing medical adversity, from cancer diagnoses to mental health crises, by subsidizing costs not covered by insurance, including: travel, housing, groceries and other basic living expenses. The foundation offers this support as a means of allowing them to focus on what's most important, staying strong during treatment. FFF recently, for example, helped a young mother named Monica through a difficult time following her breast cancer diagnosis. Dak is extremely hands-on and always looking for additional ways he can be of service to his community. He shows up in person to his foundation's events whenever possible. He can often be found coaching a youth football camp, participating in a Stand Up To Cancer telethon, delivering groceries or serving meals to the underserved, visiting the students of the just keep livin after school program he sponsors or sharing words of support with a child whose parent has cancer. Dak gives endlessly of his time, his talents, his money and his heart in an effort to create a better future and empower individuals, families and communities to find strength through adversity. Not only does he see this as a duty and obligation; he considers it a privilege and finds great joy in the act of giving back. This work truly means the world to him. The Dallas Cowboys are proud to select Dak Prescott as their 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.