Faith has helped Dak Prescott overcome adversity

by mcardinal

Rob Issa, FISM News

    

 

When Dak Prescott takes the field for the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving afternoon against the New York Giants, the word “faith” will be written on the tape around his left wrist over his “mom” tattoo.

For Prescott, his Christian faith is his foundation.

His faith helped Prescott deal with losing his mother, Peggy Prescott, to colon cancer when he was 20 years old. It helped him handle losing his brother, Jace Prescott, to suicide in 2020. Later that year, it was central to Prescott overcoming a gruesome, season-ending ankle injury.

“Faith is everything,” Prescott told Faith On The Field.

When my mom passed, that’s the word she left me: faith. I’ve always been somebody that’s always been tight with my faith. I never ask questions. God’s purpose for us isn’t to question but to follow and that’s the way that I live my life whether it’s a contract or whether it’s in the midst of a win or a loss. Whatever it is, I just give it to Him and live my life to control what I can control and just be thankful for what I have.

Prescott was only a sophomore at Mississippi State when his mother died in 2013. He found strength in his faith and went on to lead his team to victory in the Liberty Bowl, earning Most Valuable Player honors in that game. Prescott also made the Southeastern Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll. That season, he led the Bulldogs to their first-ever No. 1 national ranking. 

Prescott ended his career at Mississippi State with 38 school records, while earning a Bachelor’s degree in Educational Psychology and a Master’s degree in Workforce Leadership.

“I learned so many lessons from watching my mom fight colon cancer,” Prescott said later. “And I think just toughness, mental toughness was one of the main things I’ve taken and I try to use every day and to never show weakness. And just her courage and fight through that whole battle just showed me how mentally tough one person can be.” 

Prescott was selected by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL draft. Later that year, he replaced Tony Romo as the starting quarterback and led Dallas to a 13-3 record, an NFC East title, and was named The Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year. Prescott also made the first of his two Pro Bowl appearances.

With Prescott under center, the Cowboys are 56-34.

After ankle surgery following his injury in October 2020, Prescott pointed to his faith.

“I’m just excited for God’s purpose and plan. I know it’s bigger than anything that I see or I could have imagined, but I’m trusting Him,” he said. “My faith is doubled down more than ever and I’m thankful that He’s my Savior and He guides me in life. So I know through Him, all this will be possible and all this will be a great comeback and a great story.”

He returned from that ankle injury to throw a career-best 37 touchdown passes last season while leading the Cowboys to another NFC East championship.

Prescott is coming off his best performance of the season in Dallas’ dominant 40-3 win over the Minnesota Vikings, but the Cowboys have a formidable opponent on Thursday. The division rival Giants are also 7-3.

“This team can be special,” he said. “But we’ve got to take it one game at a time. We can’t have a winning hangover. We have to be locked in on the New York Giants and understand that this is a good team. They’re a winning team in our division.”

To honor his mother, Prescott started the “Faith Fight Finish” foundation. Its mission is to invest “in the future of our youth by empowering individuals, families, and communities to find strength through adversity. The foundation focuses on fighting cancer and offering assistance to those facing life-challenging hardships; in honor of Dak’s Mom, Peggy!”  

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