Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott named NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year

The NFL named Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott its Walter Payton Man of the Year on Thursday night at the NFL Honors show in Phoenix.

The Man of the Year is the league’s most prestigious honor, given to the person who is a standout on the field ... but more importantly off the field.

The theater gave Prescott a standing ovation when he was announced the winner.

The quarterback said there was no doubt where this award ranks among the many honors he’s received in his career.

“That’s easy — it’s number one,” Prescott told reporters later Thursday. “When your mom gets diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, she’s given months to live, she’s giving you that news, and she tells you, ‘Hey, all greats have a story. Allow me to be your story.’

“That’s what this award means to me.”

“As a Dallas Cowboy, I am honored to join the prior recipients of this award and such prestigious award which is Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman and Jason Witten. These are men who I look up to and I have learned so much from. Being recognized along side of them, I will never take for granted; and it’s something I take pride in forever.”

“I am so grateful of the Dallas Cowboys organization, the entire Jones family,” Prescott said. “To my fellow teammates who work so hard along side of me, thank you for the support of my foundation and for all of the charitable work that you do. You make me better on and off the field.”

He thanked his late mother, Peggy, as his biggest mentor.

He started his foundation after his mother Dak’s mother lost her battle with colon cancer in 2013; and its work honors Dak’s brother, Jace, who was lost to suicide in 2020.

“My mother was, and still is, my moral compass,” Prescott said. “Through my own charitable contributions, I seek to share her strength and courage with the world.”

“My mother told me when she was diagnosed with cancer that, ‘All greats have a story. Allow me to be your story.’ She is my ‘why.’ And with these words, just as she does and always did, my mother inspired me and motivated me to be great beyond the circumstances. And it was in her honor I that started my foundation in 2017 and named it Faith, Fight, Finish, the three words she left me and my brothers.”

According to the foundation’s website. “The Faith Fight Finish Foundation invests in a better future by empowering individuals, families and communities to find strength through adversity.”

The foundation has raised funds for several causes, including colon cancer research. The quarterback has also been very open about suicide prevention and mental health.

Each NFL team annually nominates one player for the award. Each of the 32 nominees receive up to a $40,000 donation in their name to their charity of choice. Prescott will receive a $250,000 donation to his foundation. All donations are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.

The Dallas Cowboys website chronicled Prescott’s work off the field:

After the loss of his brother to suicide in 2020 and a desire to make an impact on social justice causes, Prescott has a renewed purpose towards helping others. He expanded the original mission of his foundation to not only raise funds and awareness for cancer, but to also tackle suicide prevention and mental health, and help bridge the gap between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

Prescott and FFF have worked tirelessly to align with trusted partners to implement solutions to the issues plaguing our nation. In the wake of the senseless murder of George Floyd, Prescott lent his voice to the dialogue, penning an op-ed piece in which he vowed to take action to rid communities of racism, racial-profiling and hate. He pledged one million dollars to police training, education and advocacy.

Since that time, FFF has worked to build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve and protect, by forming the Law Enforcement Steering Committee comprised of youth, community leaders and law enforcement personnel that addresses systemic racism through education and advocacy.

In May 2022, FFF hosted The North Texas Townhall in collaboration with the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers, where over 250 youth participated in a meaningful dialogue with law enforcement officers.

FFF is also working to bring the CYCLE training program to communities across the country, delivering law enforcement officers a high-level curriculum specifically created to transform police interactions with community members, especially young men of color in underserved areas. At Prescott’s insistence, the police and community training were enhanced to include modules on mental health awareness and community service.

Mental health awareness became a cause Prescott began championing after losing his brother, Jace, to suicide during the isolation of the Covid-19 pandemic. Prescott’s promise is to make sure that Jace’s life will be “a life taken to save millions.”Through collaboration with NFL players Soloman Thomas and Hayden Hurst, Prescott and FFF are sponsoring programs created to teach educators to connect with students in crisis and identify the signs of depression and mental illness. Additionally, FFF has partnered with the Kevin Love Fund to support Social Emotional Learning programs that focus on destigmatizing emotions that are often labeled as “negative” while raising awareness for mental health so youth know they are not alone in facing challenging emotions.

Editor’s note: Star-Telegram sports editor Dave Ammenehuser wrote this story, using a combination of content from other sources, including The Associated Press, the Dallas Cowboys and the The Faith Fight Finish Foundation.”