Dak Prescott Behind The Scenes: A Right-Minded Push From Dallas Cowboys QB

“The NFL is obligated to [help] and they have, That’s exciting and that’s refreshing for me, to know that mental health is being coached like a skill.” - Dak Prescott

Mike Fisher | May 10, 2021

FRISCO - it was supposed to be a sponsor appearance via Zoom, and some bigwig got in Dak Prescott's earpiece to let everyone know that the subject of mental health would not be among the discussion items. ...

At which point, Dak was Dak.

“The mental health (issue)... Guys, I’m fine with that,” Prescott said into his microphone. “I’m going to answer it the way I want to answer it, so I’m fine with that. I’m not running from mental health questions.”

Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson shares the story, much more special than it is unique, because the Dallas Cowboys QB's willingness to speak frankly on so many personal subjects - the death of his mother, the more recent death of his brother, his own struggles to cope with loss - has morphed him into a spokesman for the movement of understanding such issues.

“I think the NFL is obligated to [help] and they have,” Prescott said. “That’s exciting and that’s refreshing for me, to know that mental health is being coached like a skill. That’s exactly what it is. You have to work on it almost each and every day for it to be where you want it to be.”

The NFL has stepped up, with teams offering personalized mental health care for players. Prescott deserves to be proud for helping to power the progress.

“Thats a testament to my platform, just being a quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys,” he said. “And not only that, [but] having experience with it losing a brother and just all of the things that I’ve been through, from fighting all the adversity and coming back to a position that I could be proud of, [then experiencing] adversity again and bouncing back.”

While some foolishly continue to label such admissions to be signs of weakness, as sports contrarian Skip Bayless infamously has, Prescott is helping the NFL world and beyond understand that actually, the reverse is true.

“I think the best way,'' Prescott said, "is to be vulnerable, and talk about it.”

Published May 10, 2021

MIKE FISHER

Mike Fisher - as a newspaper beat writer and columnist and on radio and TV, where he is an Emmy winner - has covered the NFL since 1983 and the Dallas Cowboys since 1990, is the author of two best-selling books on the Cowboys.