The Journey of Dak Prescott

Wednesday, December 30th, 2015

Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott plays his final collegiate football game.

It’s a big one for the Haughton, Louisiana native. Prescott completes 25 of 42 passes for 380 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Bulldogs to an impressive 51–28 Belk Bowl victory.

The game capped off what was a very successful college career for Prescott. During his time at Mississippi State, he threw for over 9,000 yards and 70 touchdowns along with 2,000 yards and 41 touchdowns on the ground. You read that right. That’s 111 career touchdowns.

Saturday, April, 28th, 2016.

“The Dallas Cowboys select Dak Prescott, quarterback, Mississippi State.”

The words come like music to Prescott’s ears. He is drafted by the Dallas Cowboys as the potential successor to franchise quarterback Tony Romo.

It wasn’t an easy road to the draft for Prescott. The offseason between his last season at Mississippi State and the 2016 NFL Draft was filled with obstacles for the young signal-caller.

First, there was the arrest.

Prescott was detained by police on March 12, 2016 in Starkville, Mississippi, for driving under the influence. Although he was eventually found not guilty on all charges in court on July 27, the incident was seen by many draft analysts and scouts as a deterrent from selecting Prescott. The NFL already faces an image issue. Why waste a pick on a player who’s just going to screw it up by getting arrested again?

Second, there were the comparisons.

Many draft experts and scouts voiced their sentiment that Prescott was not a pro-style quarterback. While his numbers in college were impressive, many believed it wouldn’t translate to NFL success. Prescott was even likened to another strong-running, heavy-built quarterback: Tim Tebow.

But none of that seemed to matter to the Cowboys, as they drafted Prescott with the 135th pick in the fourth round of the draft. Now, everyone waits to see whether this rookie will be able to make a splash in the NFL, or fall victim to the cuts and practice squad spots that befall many a professional career.

Saturday, August 13th, 2016.

Dak Prescott takes his first NFL snap. Well, it’s a preseason snap, but we’ll still count it.

The rookie entered the Cowboys’ first preseason game with a bang. He completed six of his first seven passes and threw a touchdown to teammate Dez Bryant.

And it only got better from there.

Prescott finished the contest completing 10-of-12 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. To say that analysts and experts were shocked would be an understatement.

Throw in Prescott’s stats from his next preseason appearance, and we’ve got something on our hands. Prescott posted a perfect, yeah, I said PERFECT, quarterback rating of 158.3 after with four total touchdowns and just three incompletions. Not interceptions. Incompletions. With the two games combined, Prescott went 22-of-27 passing for 338 yards and six combined touchdowns.

All this isn’t enough for you?

Thursday, August 25th, 2016.

Tony Rome breaks a bone in his back and leaves the field against the Seattle Seahawks. Prescott relieved Romo in the contest, and Cowboy nation held its breath for information on their franchise quarterback.

Vertebrae fracture. Injured reserve. May not be back until November.

And there you have it.

This is now Dak Prescott’s team. The rookie who was a household name in college but shunned by countless scouts and draft analyst might just be the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys week one against the New York Giants.

Dallas currently has two other quarterbacks besides Romo and Prescott on the roster: Mark Sanchez and Jameill Showers. The team acquired Sanchez this week after he was cut by the Denver Broncos, and will look to him to back up Prescott for the foreseeable future. Showers, a UTEP product, showcases unique athleticism, similar to Prescott, but has never appeared in a regular season game and was buried in the depth chart last year.

Many fans may see the situation as a plus for the team. There seems to be only two opinions out there on Tony Romo: either you love him or you hate him. A large chunk of Cowboy Nation adores him, as does Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett. Others see Romo as a chronic choke artist, a player who has had a myriad of opportunities with mixed results.

Either way, Dak Prescott is now the face of the franchise. Sure, he’s surrounded by stars such as Dez Bryant and sure-to-be rookie sensation Ezekiel Elliott. But it’s Prescott the world wants to see.

And why not? The man has been downright unbeatable in the preseason, shocking the football world. He’s exciting. This is the opportunity a young QB dreams of. Of course, injuries are never a good thing. But Prescott, after facing a variety of obstacles to get to the NFL, now is going to start for one of the oldest and most revered dynasties of the National Football League.

Fasten your seatbelts.