Dak Prescott has been shaped by his parents, Peggy and Nat Prescott. Dak lost his mom, Peggy, to cancer when he was a college sophomore playing quarterback at Mississippi State. According to the Dallas News, Peggy waited a couple months to tell Dak about her colon cancer.
“It was just the woman she was,” Prescott told Dallas News. “I think she was scared of how it was going to affect me. Obviously I wanted to go home and be with her, but her words were, ‘No, you’re not coming back here. You’re right where you want to be and that’s where I want you to be.’ That obviously allowed me to go out there and clear my mind and just play ball.”
Dak remains close with his father, Nat, who moved to Frisco, Texas to be closer to his son. Like his father, Dak grew up a massive Cowboys fan.
“Phenomenal, it’s been a ride,” Nat explained to the Dallas News in 2017. “I tell him thanks for taking Pops along on with the ride. We are thankful every day…He’s still Dak. I texted him last year before every game: ‘Be Dak. If I get Dak then I know what I got.’ I simply got back, ‘Pops I don’t know how to be anything else.’ I’m thankful to God he’s stayed grounded.”
Learn more about Dak’s mom and dad.
1. Dak’s Mom Died of Cancer on November 3, 2013 When He Was a Sophomore at Mississippi State
After battling cancer, Peggy passed away on November 3, 2013. Dak was extremely close to his mother, and the Cowboys quarterback still feels her impact today.
“When you lose your mom, it’s not that easy,” Dak told NBC DFW. “That’s something you’ve got to wake up every day, looking yourself in the face and knowing that you’ve got an angel. You’ve got an angel that has expectations for you to do and you’ve got to go out there and do them each and every day.”
Dak noted his mother used to give him tips he would use on the football field.
“She’d let me know how she felt about our struggles and about the mistakes and those type of things,” Prescott explained to NBC DFW. “Simply on the other hand of having the confidence in me of fixing them and in our team of fixing them and getting back to playing the type of ball we want to play as a team.”
2. Peggy Raised Dak & His 4 Siblings as a Single Mother
According to the Dallas News, Dak’s parents divorced when he was starting school. This left Peggy to raise Dak and his siblings as a single mother. The family lived in a trailer park in Princeton, Louisiana where she managed a nearby Travel Plaza per ESPN.
“Single mom, raising three boys, always at work, definitely,” Dak explained to ESPN. “We went to work to help her, spent a lot of time up at her work because that’s what she was doing. So definitely 90 percent came from that.”
Dak now has a total of four siblings: Natalie Prescott-Smith, Tad Prescott, Jace Prescott and Elliott Prescott.
3. Dak’s Father Moved to Frisco, Texas to Be Near His Son
The Dallas News reported in July of 2017 that Nat moved to Frisco, Texas to be near his son. Nat was a commercial driver in the Louisiana oil fields then drove an Austin city bus. Now, Nat helps with Dak’s two dogs, Legend and GOAT. Nat noted that he and his son are still on good terms even though Dak’s relationship with his mother has been well-documented.
“It wasn’t for me to try to come out and convince the world,” Nat told the Dallas News. “That’s not my job. My child knew and that was the main concern for me. First chance you have ask him. There’s never been anything estranged about our relationship at all. I am Pops.”
4. Dak’s Dad Was Arrested in 2018 for Possession of Marijuana & But Was Released After Posting a $500 Bond
According to KFDM News, Nat was arrested in August of 2018 after a traffic stop. The police discovered marijuana, and Nat was arrested before posting bail.
“BREAKING: Texas DPS arrests father of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott on marijuana charges. 57-year-old Nathaniel Prescott was stopped on Highway 87 in Orange County on Saturday afternoon. Troopers say they discovered marijuana. He posted $500 bond and was released,” reporter Peter Eliopoulos tweeted.
5. Dak Still Sends Texts to His Mother
Dak and his family just passed the five-year mark of his mother’s death. The Cowboys quarterback frequently texts his mom as a way to keep her memory alive. Prescott elaborated on the texts in an October 2018 interview with the Dallas News.
I did it probably two weeks ago or so. They’re random. Really what they are, they’re ‘thank you.’ They are times you sit back and you take everything in, and when I do that and I think ‘my mom passed away five years ago, I’ve been in the NFL, this is my third year.’ I’m like, ‘Time’s flying. Thank you.’ And that’s simply what they are. Just grabbing my phone and just voicing how thankful I am for her sacrifices, for her being so selfless, everything she showed me. And just the person she was. That’s helped me get through so much, so much in the five years she hasn’t been here. And I’m sure in years to come.