Dak Prescott facts for kids
Prescott in 2024
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| No. 4 – Dallas Cowboys | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | July 29, 1993 Sulphur, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 238 lb (108 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Haughton (Haughton, Louisiana) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Mississippi State (2011–2015) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2016 / Round: 4 / Pick: 135 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Rayne Dakota Prescott (born July 29, 1993), known as Dak Prescott, is an American professional football quarterback. He plays for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL). A quarterback is the player who leads the team's offense and throws the football.
Dak played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. He was named to the First-team All-SEC twice. The Cowboys picked him in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL draft.
In his first year, Dak was supposed to be a backup player. But the main quarterback, Tony Romo, got hurt. So, Dak became the starting quarterback for the Cowboys. He led the team to be the best in their conference. He also set many records for a rookie quarterback. Because of his great first year, he won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Dak has helped the Cowboys win four division titles and has been chosen for the Pro Bowl three times. The Pro Bowl is an all-star game for the best players in the NFL.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Rayne Dakota Prescott was born in Sulphur, Louisiana on July 29, 1993. He is the youngest of three children born to Nathaniel and Peggy Prescott.
Dak went to Haughton High School in Haughton, Louisiana. He played football for the Haughton Buccaneers. In his final year of high school, he threw for 2,860 yards and 39 touchdowns. He also ran for 951 yards and 17 touchdowns. He led Haughton to win the 2010 District 1-AAAA Championship. Dak was a highly recruited player. He chose to play for Mississippi State.
College Career
Dak Prescott started his college career at Mississippi State in 2011. He was "redshirted" in his first year, which means he practiced with the team but didn't play in games. This allowed him to gain experience without using up a year of his playing eligibility.
In 2012, he was a backup quarterback. He played in 12 games, throwing for 194 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for four touchdowns.
In 2013, Dak became the starting quarterback when the main starter got hurt. He played in 11 games, throwing for 1,940 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also ran for 829 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was named the MVP of the 2013 Liberty Bowl. This was after he led his team to a big 44–7 win. His performance that year was one of the best in school history.
In 2014, Dak was the full-time starter. He led the Bulldogs to a 10–2 record. This was the first time in school history they were ranked #1. He also led them to the Orange Bowl. During this season, Dak broke 10 school records. These included records for passing yards (3,449) and total touchdowns (41). He won many awards and was named to the First-team All-SEC. He also finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting. The Heisman Trophy is given to the most outstanding player in college football.
Before the 2015 season, Dak was named a top player to watch. He continued to break records. He became only the fourth player in college football history to throw for 60 touchdowns and run for 40 touchdowns. He also set a school record for touchdowns in a single game with seven. He won many weekly awards for his amazing performances. For the season, he threw for 3,793 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also ran for 10 touchdowns.
Dak finished his college career holding 38 school records. He was one of the best quarterbacks in SEC history.
College Statistics
| Season | GP | Passing | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 2012 | 12 | 18 | 29 | 62.1 | 194 | 6.7 | 4 | 0 | 163.8 | 32 | 118 | 3.7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2013 | 11 | 156 | 267 | 58.4 | 1,940 | 7.3 | 10 | 7 | 126.6 | 134 | 829 | 6.2 | 13 | 2 | 53 | 26.5 | 2 |
| 2014 | 13 | 244 | 396 | 61.6 | 3,449 | 8.7 | 27 | 11 | 151.7 | 210 | 986 | 4.7 | 14 | 2 | 35 | 17.5 | 1 |
| 2015 | 13 | 316 | 477 | 66.2 | 3,793 | 8.0 | 29 | 5 | 151.0 | 160 | 588 | 3.7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Career | 49 | 734 | 1,169 | 62.8 | 9,376 | 8.0 | 70 | 22 | 146.0 | 536 | 2,521 | 4.0 | 41 | 4 | 88 | 22.0 | 3 |
Records and Honors
- Single game record for passing yards in the Orange Bowl (453)
- Single game record for passing attempts in the Orange Bowl (51, tied)
- Single game record for passing completions in the Orange Bowl (33, tied)
- Single game record for passing yards in the Belk Bowl (380)
- Single game record for total yards in the Belk Bowl (427)
- Single game record for touchdown passes in the Belk Bowl with (4, tied)
- 2016 Senior Bowl Most Outstanding Player
- 2015 Senior Class Award
- 2014 and 2015 Conerly Trophy
- 2015 Belk Bowl MVP
- 2013, 2014, and 2015 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll
- 2015 SEC Offensive Player of the Week (at Arkansas and vs. Kentucky)
- 2014 and 2015 First-team All-SEC (AP and Coaches)
- 2014 SEC Offensive Player of Week (at LSU, vs. Auburn, and vs. Vanderbilt)
- 2013 Liberty Bowl MVP
Professional Career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Wonderlic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2+1⁄4 in (1.89 m) |
226 lb (103 kg) |
32+1⁄4 in (0.82 m) |
10+7⁄8 in (0.28 m) |
4.79 s | 1.66 s | 2.78 s | 4.32 s | 7.11 s | 32.5 in (0.83 m) |
9 ft 8 in (2.95 m) |
25 | |
| All values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
2016 Season: Rookie Success
When Dak joined the Dallas Cowboys, he chose the number 4 to honor his mother. He became the first Cowboys quarterback to wear this number.
Dak quickly moved up the team's depth chart. This happened when the backup quarterback got injured. Then, the starting quarterback, Tony Romo, also got hurt during a preseason game. This meant Dak was named the Cowboys' starting quarterback for the 2016 season.
Dak's first regular season game was on September 11. He was the first rookie quarterback to start for the Cowboys since 2001. He played very well throughout the season. He threw his first NFL touchdown in Week 3. The Cowboys went on a long winning streak. Dak won the Offensive Rookie of the Month award in November.
The Cowboys finished the season with an amazing 13–3 record. They won the NFC East title. In the playoffs, they faced the Green Bay Packers. Dak played a strong game, throwing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. However, the Cowboys lost a close game. After his amazing rookie year, Dak was chosen for the Pro Bowl. He also won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He was ranked 14th among all NFL players by his peers.
2017 Season
Dak started his second season with a win against the New York Giants. He had a tough game against the Denver Broncos, throwing two interceptions. But he bounced back in the next game with two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown.
The Cowboys had some ups and downs. Their star running back, Ezekiel Elliott, was suspended for six games. This put more pressure on Dak. The team struggled during this time, losing several games. However, they fought back with some wins. Dak had a season-high 332 passing yards against the New York Giants.
Despite their efforts, the Cowboys missed the playoffs. Dak finished the season with 3,324 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, and 6 rushing touchdowns.
2018 Season
Dak's third season started with a loss, but he quickly led the Cowboys to their first win. He had a great game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, throwing two touchdowns and running for another. The Cowboys later traded for wide receiver Amari Cooper. This helped Dak and the offense a lot.
Dak led the Cowboys to several important wins, including a game-winning drive against the Atlanta Falcons. He also had a career-high 90-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper. In a thrilling game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Dak threw for a career-high 455 yards and 42 completions. The Cowboys won the NFC East title for the second time in three years.
In the playoffs, the Cowboys beat the Seattle Seahawks. Dak threw a touchdown and ran for a crucial touchdown late in the game. They then lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the next round. Dak was chosen for the Pro Bowl again.
2019 Season
Dak started the 2019 season with an amazing performance against the New York Giants. He threw for 405 yards and four touchdowns, earning a perfect passer rating. This was the first time a Dallas quarterback had done that since 1969. He was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
He continued to have big passing games, including 463 yards against the Green Bay Packers and 444 yards against the Detroit Lions. He won the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award again. Dak finished the season with 4,902 passing yards, which was second-most in the league. He also threw 30 touchdowns. The Cowboys finished with an 8–8 record and missed the playoffs.
2020 Season
The Cowboys kept Dak by placing a "franchise tag" on him. This is a special contract that keeps a player with their team for one more year. In Week 2, Dak had an incredible game against the Atlanta Falcons. He threw for 450 yards and ran for three touchdowns. He became the first player in NFL history to pass for over 400 yards and rush for three touchdowns in the same game.
He continued to have huge passing yardage games. In Week 4, he threw for 502 yards. He became the first player in NFL history to pass for at least 450 yards in three games in a row.
However, in Week 5, Dak suffered a serious injury to his right ankle. He had to leave the game and underwent surgery. This ended his season early.
2021 Season
After his injury, Dak signed a big four-year contract extension with the Cowboys. In his first game back, he threw for over 400 yards. In Week 6, he threw for 445 yards and three touchdowns in an overtime win. He won NFC Offensive Player of the Week twice more during the season.
The Cowboys won the NFC East division title. In the playoffs, they hosted the San Francisco 49ers. Dak threw for 254 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for a touchdown. However, the Cowboys lost the game.
2022 Season
Dak started the 2022 season with a tough game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He suffered a right thumb injury in the fourth quarter. This injury kept him out of games for several weeks.
He returned in Week 7 and led the Cowboys to a win. Dak finished the season with 2,860 passing yards and 23 touchdowns.
2023 Season
Dak started the 2023 season with a big 40–0 win over the New York Giants. He continued his winning streak against them, making it 11 straight wins. He had a strong performance against the New York Jets, throwing two touchdowns.
Later in the season, Dak had an amazing game against the Los Angeles Rams, throwing four touchdowns. He then threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles. In Week 10, he threw for 404 yards and four touchdowns against the Giants, winning his 12th straight game against them. He was named the FedEx Air Player of the Week. He also tied a team record with 10 games of at least four touchdown passes. He was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for November.
Dak finished the 2023 regular season leading the league with 36 passing touchdowns. He also had a career-high passer rating. He was a finalist for the NFL MVP award, which goes to the league's most valuable player. In the playoffs, the Cowboys lost to the Green Bay Packers.
2024 Season
Before the 2024 season, Dak signed a new four-year contract with the Cowboys. This deal made him one of the highest-paid players in NFL history.
He started the season with a win against the Cleveland Browns. He continued to play well in the early weeks. However, in Week 9, Dak injured his hamstring during a game against the Atlanta Falcons. It was a serious injury that required surgery. The Cowboys announced that Dak would miss the rest of the season. He finished his ninth season with 1,978 passing yards and 11 touchdowns.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacks | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Y/G | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Sck | SckY | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2016 | DAL | 16 | 16 | 13–3 | 311 | 459 | 67.8 | 3,667 | 8.0 | 229.2 | 83 | 23 | 4 | 104.9 | 57 | 282 | 4.9 | 18 | 6 | 25 | 143 | 9 | 4 |
| 2017 | DAL | 16 | 16 | 9–7 | 308 | 490 | 62.9 | 3,324 | 6.8 | 207.8 | 81 | 22 | 13 | 86.6 | 57 | 357 | 6.3 | 21 | 6 | 32 | 185 | 4 | 3 |
| 2018 | DAL | 16 | 16 | 10–6 | 356 | 526 | 67.7 | 3,885 | 7.4 | 242.8 | 90 | 22 | 8 | 96.9 | 75 | 305 | 4.1 | 28 | 6 | 56 | 347 | 12 | 6 |
| 2019 | DAL | 16 | 16 | 8–8 | 388 | 596 | 65.1 | 4,902 | 8.2 | 306.4 | 62 | 30 | 11 | 99.7 | 52 | 277 | 5.3 | 42 | 3 | 23 | 151 | 6 | 2 |
| 2020 | DAL | 5 | 5 | 2–3 | 151 | 222 | 68.0 | 1,856 | 8.4 | 371.2 | 58 | 9 | 4 | 99.6 | 18 | 93 | 5.2 | 12 | 3 | 10 | 66 | 3 | 3 |
| 2021 | DAL | 16 | 16 | 11–5 | 410 | 596 | 68.8 | 4,449 | 7.5 | 278.1 | 51 | 37 | 10 | 104.2 | 48 | 146 | 3.0 | 21 | 1 | 30 | 144 | 14 | 6 |
| 2022 | DAL | 12 | 12 | 8–4 | 261 | 394 | 66.2 | 2,860 | 7.3 | 238.3 | 68 | 23 | 15 | 91.1 | 45 | 182 | 4.0 | 25 | 1 | 20 | 126 | 4 | 1 |
| 2023 | DAL | 17 | 17 | 12–5 | 410 | 590 | 69.5 | 4,516 | 7.7 | 265.6 | 92 | 36 | 9 | 105.9 | 55 | 242 | 4.4 | 22 | 2 | 39 | 255 | 4 | 2 |
| 2024 | DAL | 8 | 8 | 3–5 | 185 | 286 | 64.7 | 1,978 | 6.9 | 247.3 | 65 | 11 | 8 | 86.0 | 13 | 54 | 4.2 | 22 | 1 | 21 | 112 | 4 | 1 |
| Career | 122 | 122 | 76–46 | 2,780 | 4,159 | 66.8 | 31,437 | 7.6 | 257.7 | 92 | 213 | 82 | 98.1 | 420 | 1,938 | 4.6 | 42 | 29 | 256 | 1,529 | 60 | 28 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacks | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Sck | SckY | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2016 | DAL | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 24 | 38 | 63.2 | 302 | 7.9 | 40 | 3 | 1 | 103.2 | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | DAL | 2 | 2 | 1–1 | 42 | 65 | 64.6 | 492 | 7.6 | 44 | 2 | 1 | 91.3 | 8 | 32 | 4.0 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | DAL | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 23 | 43 | 53.5 | 254 | 5.9 | 38 | 1 | 1 | 69.3 | 4 | 27 | 6.8 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 40 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | DAL | 2 | 2 | 1–1 | 48 | 70 | 68.6 | 511 | 7.3 | 46 | 5 | 2 | 101.5 | 11 | 46 | 4.2 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | DAL | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 41 | 60 | 68.3 | 403 | 6.7 | 47 | 3 | 2 | 89.8 | 6 | 45 | 7.5 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 7 | 7 | 2–5 | 178 | 276 | 64.5 | 1,962 | 7.1 | 47 | 14 | 7 | 91.8 | 31 | 163 | 5.3 | 18 | 4 | 15 | 93 | 1 | 0 | |
Career Highlights and Awards
- NFL Rookie of the Year (2016)
- Walter Payton Man of the Year (2022)
- Offensive Rookie of the Month – November 2016
- Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year winner (2016)
- 5× Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week
- 3× Pro Bowl (2016, 2018, 2023)
- 2× FedEx Air Player of the Week (2018)
- 4× NFC Offensive Player of the Week (Week 1, 2019, Week 11, 2019, Week 2, 2020, Week 6, 2021)
NFL Records
Dak Prescott set several NFL records during his rookie season in 2016:
- He had 11 games with a passer rating over 100. This broke the rookie record of nine games.
- He tied the rookie record for most wins as a starting quarterback with 13 wins.
- His passer rating of 104.9 broke the rookie record.
- His low interception rate (0.87%) was a rookie record.
- His touchdown-to-interception ratio (5.75) was a rookie record.
- His completion percentage (67.76%) was a rookie record.
- He set an NFL rookie record for completion percentage in one game (88.9%).
Cowboys Franchise Records
Dak Prescott holds many records for the Dallas Cowboys:
- Most Completions in a game: 42 (December 9, 2018)
- Most Completions in a rookie season: 311 (2016)
- Most Completions in a game as a rookie: 32 (December 18, 2016)
- Most Pass Attempts in a rookie season: 459 (2016)
- Most Passing Yards in a rookie season: 3,667 (2016)
- Most Passing Touchdowns in a season: 37 (2021)
- Most Passing Touchdowns in a rookie season: 23 (2016)
- Best Passer Rating in a rookie season: 104.9 (2016)
- Best Passer Rating in a game as a rookie: 148.3 (December 16, 2016)
- Most Yards per Pass Attempt in a rookie season: 7.99 (2016)
- Most Passing Yards per Game in a career: 257.1
- Most Passing Yards per Game in a season: 306.4 (2019)
- Most Passing Yards per Game in a rookie season: 229.2 (2016)
- Most 300+ yard passing games in a rookie season: 3
- Best Completion Percentage in a career: 66.6%
- Lowest Interception Percentage in a career (minimum 16 starts): 2.0%
- Lowest Interception Percentage in a season/rookie season: 0.9% (2016)
- Most sacks taken in a season: 56 (2018)
- Most 4th Quarter Comebacks in a rookie season: 5 (2016)
- Most 4th Quarter Comebacks in a season: 5 (2016, tied with Tony Romo in 2012)
Personal Life
Dak Prescott is a Christian. He is the son of Nathaniel and Peggy Prescott. He has two older brothers, Tad and Jace, and an older sister, Natalie. His brother Jace played football in college as an offensive lineman.
Dak's mother passed away in 2013. In her honor, Dak started the Faith Fight Finish Foundation. This foundation helps people deal with challenges in their lives.
In November 2023, Dak and his girlfriend, Sarah Jane Ramos, announced they were expecting a baby girl. Their daughter was born on February 29, 2024. Dak lives in Frisco, Texas.
See also
In Spanish: Dak Prescott para niños
- Mississippi State Bulldogs football statistical leaders
- List of National Football League records (individual)
