SPORTS

When life 'hits' Dak Prescott, he fights back

Roy Lang III
rflang@gannett.com
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) signals a first down in overtime after a quarterback sneak on fourth down against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium this season.

FRISCO, Texas -- How?

Dak Prescott has been bombarded with questions throughout this season. As the victories have piled up for the Dallas Cowboys, so have the inquiries -- most laced with amazement and begin with that three-letter word.

The media attention reached a peak this week at The Star, the Cowboys’ practice facility north of Dallas, as the team prepared for Sunday’s NFL divisional round playoff game against the Green Bay Packers.

How did the Cowboys tie a franchise record with 13 victories after Tony Romo, the $108-million face of the franchise, went down two weeks before the season opener?

How did a quarterback, slated to be the team’s No. 3 (at best) after being selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, guide Dallas within one victory of its first NFC Championship Game in 21 years?

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) leaves the field after the game against the Baltimore Ravens at AT&T Stadium this season.

How did Prescott, the Haughton product and eighth quarterback selected in April, shatter team and NFL records and immediately solidify a position among the league’s best with a Pro Bowl invite?

How did the rookie keep Romo on the bench -- even when the veteran was healthy -- and rekindle the magic in the Metroplex and among the millions of fans who cheer for America’s Team worldwide?

While the media and fans and opponents have tried to uncover the complex formula inside Prescott, the answer might be simple.

Unexpected success is simply all he’s ever known.

Throughout Prescott’s career, he’s been forced into action prior to the time logic would dictate success. And still, the 6-foot-2, 226-pound star has delivered at unprecedented levels.

Forever unfazed, on and off the field, Prescott’s composure was instilled by his uncle during his Haughton days and refined by watching Peyton Manning.

Former Haughton star Dak Prescott (6) takes on a Fair Park defender.

According to Prescott, everything he’s encountered during his 23 years has played a part in his success on the field and his unmistakable poise.

“Nobody can teach that,” he said. “Life just hits you. You learn to take that and move on.”

Prescott’s mother, Peggy, was an inspirational woman who did the best for her three boys. She lost a battle with cancer while Dak, her youngest, was at Mississippi State. Today, Dak wears No. 4 -- to honor her birthday -- and continues to fight in her memory.

Prescott’s stellar high school career captivated Haughton, a town of roughly 3,400. Not only did he succeed as an SEC quarterback, he put the Mississippi State program and Starkville, one of the smallest communities (23,000) in the conference, on the map.

The Dak effect is so powerful in central Mississippi, Starkville’s mayor believes the superstar who wore No. 15, is responsible for an economic boom.

Dallas/Fort Worth, the nation’s fifth largest market (more than seven million people), has been no match, either. Thanks to Prescott and fellow rookie sensation, running back Ezekiel Elliot, the area is lathered in hope – not just for this playoff run, but for the future.

"The huge breath of fresh air these two rookies have brought the franchise has amped the excitement level, not only for this year, but for the next five years to a higher level than I have witnessed in my 19 years," said longtime Dallas TV and radio personality Steve Dennis, currently a co-host of Dennis and Cowlishaw on ESPN Radio in Dallas. "The 2007 and 2014 season were close, but I believe it is more akin to 1992 with the dawn of the Triplets (Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin)."

Born in south Louisiana, Prescott was raised in Haughton. Like Peggy, Dak was a fighter. There wasn’t much of a choice considering the presence of two gigantic older brothers, Tad and Jace (listed at 6-6, 343 when he played as a lineman at Northwestern State).

Winning was nearly impossible for Dak, but when it came time to compete, on the court, the football field or while playing a board game at home, he wasn’t the little brother -- just another competitor.

“I give my brothers and people I grew up with tons of credit,” Dak said Thursday. “Being five and six years younger than them and playing football or basketball, and them not taking anything lightly – it’s definitely a credit to my toughness and the way I play this game.”

Haughton's Dak Prescott throws a pass during a game against Parkway.

The opportunity for Dak Prescott to make a name for himself came in 2008, when Haughton’s starting quarterback Matt Smith went down with an injury. Although Smith eventually earned the job back that season, it was all Prescott’s as a junior when the Buccaneers (8-2) won a district title.

By the time Prescott was senior, the Bucs took on names of superheroes.

A longtime Tim Tebow fan, Dak’s moniker was a no-brainer.

“He was Superman, so I’m Superman,” Prescott told The Times in 2010.

Prescott amassed 56 touchdowns, led Haughton to an undefeated regular season and captured The Times’ All-City Offensive MVP.

“There’s not a time in the day when he doesn't want to go play,” Jace Prescott told The Times during his little brother’s senior campaign. “He’s always been dedicated to being the best. There were no expectations other than what he’s doing now. He's been chunking the ball forever. I remember him tackling people that were 16 and 17 years old when he was only 11. It just came easy to him.”

The bond among the Prescott brothers is strong. The back of Dak’s arms boast tattoos of the initials of Tad (left) and Jace (right).

While many major schools, including LSU, made a late run at recruiting Prescott, he chose a coach and a program that were in the game from the start – Dan Mullen and Mississippi State.

Prescott got a taste of the SEC as a freshman, but was thrust into the Bulldogs' starting role as a sophomore when Tyler Russell was injured.

The foundation for his legendary career in Starkville was built with a miraculous performance against Ole Miss (the Egg Bowl) in 2013. Presumably out with an arm injury, Prescott, who lost Peggy earlier that month, entered the game in the fourth quarter and completed 11 passes. The Bulldogs prevailed in overtime.

Former Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott (15) runs onto the field before the game against Ole Miss.

As a junior, Prescott gave Mississippi State an identity as the Bulldogs climbed to No. 1 for the first time in school history. When Prescott’s career in Starkville came to an end in 2015, he owned 38 school records and was one of four players in FBS history -- second player (Tebow) in the SEC -- to throw for 70 touchdowns and rush for 40 touchdowns in a career.

Prescott’s impact didn’t stop with victories and records.

“He played the figure of sports hero and a role model in the community,” Starkville mayor Parker Wiseman, a MSU alum, told The Times. “It really was the catalyst for a renaissance that we’re experiencing right now. Typically, in a strong year of development, we’ll see $40-to-$50 million in new construction. In 2014, the year Mississippi State rose to No. 1 and 2015, we saw a combined total of $150 million of new construction activity.

“It would be impossible to say it’s because of Dak, but everyone knows he’s at least partially responsible. Dak’s time not only brought a new level of media profile nationally to the city and the university, but it really excited the alumni base at Mississippi State. We’re seeing continued investment in the community by alums who live all over the world.”

Without a doubt, Prescott believes his time in Starkville helped prepare him for a spotlight unmatched in professional sports – quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.

“It was huge,” he said. “It definitely prepared me for everything. From the media, to the fans – the way people react. A school like that cares so much about the success we had, for the spotlight to shine on our school so quick, it definitely prepared me for playing for this organization.”

Located in middle of New Orleans Saints country, Wiseman has noticed a deluge of Cowboys jerseys in the wake of Prescott’s remarkable rise.

“He will forever remain a part of this community. He changed the community for the better while he was here,” Wiseman said. “There are a lot of people around here who’ve had to wrestle with (rooting for the Cowboys). I grew up pulling for those Buffalo Bills. The Cowboys were our nemesis, so I’ve had to overcome some intuitions of my own. But, on Sundays, I’m a Cowboys fan now.”

Change hasn’t been easy for lifelong Cowboys fans, either.

After Dak was selected with the 135th overall pick in April, most assumed he’d be forced to battle Jameill Showers for the Cowboys’ third-string quarterback position and a spot on the team.

Strong preseason camps solidified Prescott's position on the roster, and an injury to Kellen Moore, Romo’s backup, pushed the 23-year-old to No. 2.

When Romo was injured in the penultimate preseason game, Cowboys Nation was left with one option.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) rolls out to pass against Washington Redskins at AT&T Stadium this season.

Dak didn’t blink.

Moments after Romo was helped off the field in Seattle, Prescott faced third-and-8 and delivered a perfect strike to Cole Beasley for 12 yards.

“Coming in with the obvious cloud of disappointment -- not just physical, but mental,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “For him to come in and succeed under those circumstances was very telling.”

Prescott discounts any logical thought he had to battle nerves that instant, in a raucous environment two thousand miles from home.

“I knew the play coach called and I went through my reads,” Prescott simply explained. “You get too nervous and your mind is on other things.”

In fact, Prescott claims he’s never been nervous as a professional. During Wednesday’s media scrum, Prescott initially stated his last bout with nervousness came at Mississippi State. When asked to expound on the moment, Prescott fessed up to his fib.

“I was just throwing that out there. I really don't remember the last time I was nervous,” he said. “It’s all about being prepared. Nerves hit you, you’re not human if they don’t hit you, but there is a difference between being nervous and having good nerves to go out there and play.”

Opposing defenses quickly learned there was plenty of reason to be nervous when facing Prescott and the Cowboys.

Jones was all smiles prior to the beginning of the season, but he wasn’t sure why.

“Amazing you can get that kind of confidence,” he said. “Among the coaching staff and teammates, there was a groundswell of confidence in him. He just sold everybody. Frankly, there was an inordinate feeling of confidence going into the first game that shouldn’t have been there.

“It’s the same dynamic throughout the season that has you feeling the same way (for Sunday).”

Prescott never fell victim to a learning curve. He set an NFL record for most pass attempts (176) without an interception to begin a career. The mark was previously held by Tom Brady.

After a season-opening loss to the New York Giants, Prescott and Co. rattled off 11 straight victories.

Behind the best offensive line in the NFL, Prescott and Elliott breezed through the regular season (13-3) and locked up the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

Prescott, who matched Ben Roethlisberger’s NFL record for 13 wins as a rookie quarterback, posted the best completion percentage (67.8), TD-INT ratio (23-4), and passer rating (104.9) by any rookie in NFL history.

"He's a true professional," Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne, a former opponent while at Fair Park. "He's not pretending to be anybody else. He's a good kid. I take my hat off to him."

Perhaps more impressive is the rookie’s command of the locker room.

“I liked him from the day he got here,” veteran tight end Jason Witten said. “We’ve had a good relationship. The best thing he’s done is how he’s handled every situation within the communication side of it -- to be able to make all the calls and checks at the line. For him to be able to handle those situations with confidence and conviction – you gain the respect of the locker room. That’s earned. Nobody can give you that regardless of what your talent level is.”

No matter how this season ends for the Dallas Cowboys, Prescott has authored one of the greatest stories in recent NFL history. To no one’s surprise, he’s not happy with that.

“This is not a time to reflect. It’s time to lock down and have tunnel vision,” said Prescott, who is well aware of this fact: Through 50 Super Bowls, there is not a single rookie among the game’s 100 starting quarterbacks.

The Cowboys’ mantra is “Finish the Fight,” and that’s the only acceptable outcome for Prescott.

“It means everything,” Prescott said of success in the playoffs. “It’s about how you finish, now how you start. At the end of the day, the quarterback position and the team is defined by what they do in the postseason.”

Twitter: @RoyLangIII