Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott feels like the perfect person to be able to deal anything that comes his way. Prescott’s had more tragedy in his personal life than most, and he’s handled it all with an amazing amount of poise.
When one plays for Dallas, there’s always going to be people who don’t like you. As America’s Team’s quarterback, the hate is maximized and being able to handle that criticism that comes with the position.
Through it all, Prescott has done incredible things. He led the Mississippi St. Bulldogs to their first No. 1 ranking in school history, won Offensive Rookie of the Year, is a two-time Pro Bowl player and won the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
Prescott’s a leader for the Cowboys on and off the field, and is revered throughout the league, yet somehow this has been an offseason where the criticism for the signal caller has gotten out of control. Few players in the NFL are held to such a high standard or ridiculed as much for someone whose team has won close to 63% of the games he starts.
Yet as Prescott has mentioned before, pressure is a privilege, but no quarterback in the league has been under as much scrutiny this offeseason. Prescott understands that it comes with the territory of being the QB for the Cowboys and he had the perfect response for the vitriol sent his way recently.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott on how he has handled scrutiny: “What I do hear at times, it’s behind me. If I’ve ever given credit to people’s opinions, I wouldn’t have made it this far in my life, in this league. Everybody has an opinion. My former teammate Chris Jones just said that.…
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 7, 2023
That’s a brilliant response from Prescott to his critics. All that Prescott can control is what he does, how he focuses and his teammates. The outside noise cannot take over his life or he wouldn’t have been able to make it to where he is now.
Prescott feels the losses, especially the gut-wrenching defeats of the last two postseasons, and he’s ready for a new season to begin. What happens now isn’t up anyone but the players inside the Cowboys’ locker room. It’s part of the reason that Prescott took a group of Cowboys on a Navy SEAL led retreat called O2X this summer.
The goal was to gain a mental edge, getting 1% better, and becoming accountable.
“Anything about culture, accountability, goal-setting or getting 1% better, his eyes lit up.”
Prescott doesn’t listen to the detractors; he works hard and does anything he can to help win a Super Bowl. The veteran quarterback’s focus is on what he can control, not the outside noise.
That’s long been the Prescott way, and it’s big reason the Cowboys are hopefully on track to break a 27-year streak of not making it to at least the NFC Championship game.
Haters are always going to hate, but Prescott doesn’t let it affect him. That’s why he’s a leader for the Cowboys.
You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi