Dak Prescott

Rayne Dakota Prescott, born on July 29, 1993, in Sulphur, Louisiana, began his football journey at Haughton High School. He excelled as a senior, completing 159 of 258 passes for 2,860 yards and 39 touchdowns, alongside 951 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, leading Haughton to a 2010 District 1-AAAA Championship. He committed to Mississippi State, where he redshirted his true freshman year in 2011. As a backup in 2012, he played in 12 games, throwing for 194 yards and 4 touchdowns, adding 110 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns. In 2013, he became the starter after an injury to Tyler Russell, completing 156 of 267 passes for 1,940 yards, 10 touchdowns, and rushing for 829 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was named MVP of the 2013 Liberty Bowl. In 2014, his first full season as a starter, Prescott led Mississippi State to a 10-2 regular season record and their first #1 national ranking. He broke 10 school records, including single-season passing yards (3,449) and total offense (4,435), with 27 passing touchdowns and 14 rushing touchdowns. He earned First-team All-SEC honors in both 2014 and 2015. For his college career, Prescott set 38 school records in passing and rushing categories.

Prescott was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round (135th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. Initially intended as a backup, injuries to Tony Romo and Kellen Moore elevated him to the starting quarterback position for his rookie season. He led the Cowboys to a 13-3 record and the NFC East title, setting NFL rookie records for passer rating (104.9) and fewest interceptions (4), and tied the rookie record for most wins (13). He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and selected to the Pro Bowl. In 2017 and 2018, he continued to lead the Cowboys to winning records, including another NFC East Division title in 2018, earning his second Pro Bowl selection. The 2019 season saw him achieve career-highs with 4,902 passing yards and 30 touchdowns. Despite missing most of the 2020 season due to a severe ankle injury, he returned in 2021 to throw for a club-record 37 touchdowns and finished with 4,449 yards. His resilience and community efforts were recognized with the 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. In 2023, he led the NFL with 36 passing touchdowns and achieved a career-high passer rating of 105.9, clinching another NFC East title and finishing second in MVP voting. In 2024, he signed a record-breaking four-year, $240 million contract extension, making him the NFL’s highest-paid player by average annual value. His 2024 season was cut short by a hamstring injury.