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Mike White spent just one season with the Cowboys, but his brief stint in Dallas was an impactful one thanks to Dak Prescott.
White and Prescott first crossed paths in 2018 after the Cowboys selected White in the fifth round of that year’s draft. White was brought in to compete for a job as Prescott’s backup and spent his rookie season as the team’s third-string quarterback. White competed for the job again in training camp the following year, only to be waived at the end of the summer after Dallas pegged Cooper Rush as its No. 2 quarterback.
While White’s time with the Cowboys was short-lived, the lessons he learned from Prescott along the way play a prominent role in his career to this day. The most important thing White picked up from the two-time Pro Bowler? Relationships matter — no matter where you stand in the organizational pecking order.
“I thought off the field what Dak does so well is the relationships he has with every single person in that locker room and everyone in that building,” White said Thursday. “That’s kind of just how he operates and that’s what I noticed firsthand. When I first got there to Dallas, obviously [Ezekiel Elliot], the starting wide receivers, the practice squad backup corner, he’s got a relationship with everybody and I try to emulate that as well.”
White also learned plenty from Prescott watching him on the practice field and during the regular season. The 2018 season was a Pro Bowl year for Prescott, meaning White got to see him operate during one of his best seasons to date.
“The little things Dak sees and the nuances of, ‘Yeah, this route is supposed to be run like this, but there’s certain times where you can adjust to what kind of leverage [you’re facing],'” White said. “Just little things like that, to not be so textbook and to be able to go off-script based off what he’s seen and what’s experienced.”
The relationship aspect of Prescott’s lessons have loomed large for White this season. The 26-year-old has won over the locker room at One Jets Drive since knocking off the Bengals in Week 8, with his teammates now chanting his name every time he enters the room.
As for the on-field lessons, it’s safe to assume they have rubbed off positively as well. White looked the part against Cincinnati and will get a chance to show what he can really do against a top-tier Bills defense. He might never reach Prescott’s level, but he’s on a similar path as a former day three draft pick fighting to prove he belongs.
Prescott has already done that and then some. Sunday will be White’s chance to do the same.
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