Dak Prescott was off to a great start in his NFL career.
In four seasons as the Cowboys quarterback, he had thrown for 15,778 yards, 97 TDs, and 36 INTs. In 2019 alone he threw for 4,902 yards, 30 TDs, and 11 INTs. He was a 2x Pro Bowler and his future seemed bright.
Then 2020 arrived.
Dak was embroiled in very public contract negotiations with the team. He deserved top-tier quarterback money, but Jerry Jones kept balking.
Then in his fifth game of the season, Dak’s ankle was destroyed on a routine tackle by the Giants’ Logan Ryan on a routine tackle. Yet that incident wasn’t the most devastating moment in Prescott’s year.
That came in six months earlier on April 23rd when Dak’s older brother, Jace, committed suicide. He was 31.
2020 was a year to completely forget for Prescott. One that could have crippled him.
But he refused to succumb.
In a revealing interview with Sports Illustrated, Prescott discussed the horrendous year that was 2020.
Dealing with the physical pain of his gruesome injury was one thing. The death of his brother was a completely different situation.
Prescott revealed to SI that minutes after learning of his brother’s death, he wrote him a heartfelt letter.
It read in part:
Jace MacKenzie Prescott
A Life Taken to Save Millions
You’ll never be forgotten for one second.
-Why didn’t you ask me for help?
-Did you tell someone how bad you hurting?
-Do you know how many people you affected?
-Do you know you’re adored, admired, loved?
These questions will never be answered, adding to his heartbreak. But it was his way of dealing with the pain and loss of another family member.
In November of 2013, Dak lost his mother, Peggy, to colon cancer.
During both moments, with the Dallas Cowboys and the Mississippi State Bulldogs respectively, football was his saving grace. Without it, there’s no telling what would have happened to him.
After dealing with the emotional pain came the physical pain from his crushing ankle injury.
It was extremely painful for fans to watch, so imagine how excruciating it was for Dak.
As the medical staff rushed onto the field, Dak recalled the advice a friend gave him to do in times of crisis.
Thank God.
“So as the broadcast team screamed “oh no†… thank you God … as doctors rushed onto the field … thank you God … as teammates patted Prescott on the helmet … thank you God … as the cart drove him away … thank you God … as he buried his tears in a towel … thank you God. “That was my peace in all this,†said Prescott.
As if that wasn’t enough, the mental strain of his agonizing contract negotiations arrived.
2020 was horrible for everyone due to the pandemic. For Dak, it was a year to never remember.
But this year has been much brighter for Prescott.
In March, he and his team celebrated. He inked a four-year, $160 million deal, with the first three years averaging $42 million per year.
Most mindnumbing was that $126 million of it was guaranteed.
After a horrible 2020, that level of guaranteed money was a boon to his overall recovery.
Then in June, Dak left Adidas and with the Jordan Brand.
“Prescott will be the only Jordan Brand QB, the only Cowboys player, and highest-paid player on the Jordan Brand roster,” tweeted Adam Schefter.
Dak Prescott is now secured financially.
And despite a current shoulder injury, Dak’s 2021 appears to be off to a much better start than 2020.
And while the pain of losing his mother and brother will never fully dissipate, a healthy, bounce-back year is firmly in Dak Prescott’s reach.
