Humble sportsmen go places and it looks like Rayne Dakota ‘Dak’ Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys will go a long way in his career in the National Football League (NFL) when he was named as the Associated Press’ Offensive Rookie of the Year Award on February 4.
Interestingly, his biggest contender for the plum was his Dallas Cowboys teammate Ezekiel Elliott. Personifying his humility even at his young age, Prescott decided to accept the award with his teammate in tow and even offered to split the trophy.
Elliott led the NFL in rushing with 1,631 yards which is why Prescott said that his teammate deserves the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honor as much as he does. Elliott was even a contender for MVP honors in the NFL.
He said Elliot’s yards and catches and the way both of them handled everything in the backfield were always together. He added that the defense of the opposing teams had to hone in on the two of them to stop the Cowboys’ run game, which made his job easier.
Prescott said that without Zeke, the nickname of Elliot, he doubts if they could have piled up as many wins in the just-concluded NFL season, details ESPN.
The surprise rise of Prescott
Prescott’s rise from fourth-round pick to Pro Bowler to now the Cowboys’ first offensive rookie of the year since Emmitt Smith was quite a surprise.
He tied an NFL record for a rookie quarterback with 13 wins, including 11 straight, which is a Cowboys record. He had 23 touchdown passes and only four interceptions while also setting a team record for a quarterback with six rushing touchdowns.
But what caught the attention of most of his teammates, coaches and front-office personnel was his poise and composure and always saying and doing the right things.
Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said that Prescott and Elliott are special guys. He said that it is difficult to transition from college football to pro football and the two guys did it with such an amazing job and also handled so many different things really well.
Garrett said that the duo’s plays in the games were consistently through at a high level, adding that what Prescott and Elliott brought to the Cowboys are the energy and the competitive spirit, which were really infectious.
Team first guys
The coach said that he thinks the two rookies learned a lot from the older guys who’ve been around the Dallas Cowboys and the way the team does things. However, Garett said that the pair also brought something themselves, making the Dallas Cowboys an even better team.
He said that seeing Prescott and Elliott on stage together is a reflection of what they are all about to the Dallas Cowboys and to the NFL in general. Garrett also describes the two as the team first guys.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s breakout rookie season got even better when he was named as the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year, beating out running back teammate Ezekiel Elliott.
When he received the trophy on stage, Prescott even asked for a knife to split the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award with Elliott Prescott. He also thanked the other 31 teams for passing on him, which is why he landed on the roster of the Dallas Cowboys.
Dak Prescott quarterbacked the Dallas Cowboys to a 13-3 regular season win-loss slate and the NFC’s No. 1 seed, and he was recognized for those efforts on February 3 when he was named the 2016-17 NFL Pepsi Rookie of the Year.
Prescott beat out teammate Ezekiel Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, Los Angeles Chargers edge rusher Joey Bosa, and Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones for the honor voted on by fans.
Dak Prescott played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs and was selected by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.