In 2025, Dak Prescott will be the longest active member of the Cowboys. A $60 million AAV deal, another chance to go for the Super Bowl, and a loving girlfriend, the man has it all. Well, that’s what it looks like from the outside. But in his heart, at his core, he has suffered immensely. He lost his mother to cancer. That was the start of a downhill spiral that left him alone, unable to take care of those who were dear to him. It includes his older brother Jace.
In 2020, Dak lost his brother Jace to suicide. It was a blow heavier than any Sunday sack, the kind of pain that lingers far beyond the field. But instead of letting it break him, Prescott turned it into purpose. “People’s lives matter,” Dak Prescott added. “In dark times and adversity, it’s about making sure people understand that their life matters and that it’s okay to ask for help.” Cowboys Nation has always been about toughness, but this? This was a new kind of strength, one that didn’t wear pads, but stood tall, nonetheless.
Now, the mission runs even deeper. Prescott and new teammate Solomon Thomas, who lost his sister to suicide, are teaming up off the field, too. Their foundations, Faith, Fight, Finish and The Defensive Line, have been doing the work, spreading awareness, breaking stigma, and reaching out to those quietly struggling.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA 2023: New York Jets OTA MAY 31 May 31, 2023, Florham Park, New Jersey, USA: Defensive lineman Solomon Thomas 94 workout during organized team activities at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, Florham Park, New Jersey. Duncan Williams/CSM/Sipa USACredit Image: Duncan Williams/Cal Media/Sipa USA Florham Park New Jersey USA NOxUSExINxGERMANY PUBLICATIONxINxALGxARGxAUTxBRNxBRAxCANxCHIxCHNxCOLxECUxEGYxGRExINDxIRIxIRQxISRxJORxKUWxLIBxLBAxMLTxMEXxMARxOMAxPERxQATxKSAxSUIxSYRxTUNxTURxUAExUKxVENxYEMxONLY Copyright: xCalxSportxMediax Editorial use only
“For us to push this message and both to be Cowboys,” Prescott explained, “Understanding the platform that we have to push this message out there to the world is important, because we have to stop this epidemic.” And he’s not wrong. Cowboys’ fans know the meaning of Finish the Fight. But Dak is showing us how that fight isn’t just on Sundays. It’s in everyday moments, in conversations, in extending a hand to someone who might be losing their grip.
The message is loud and clear. It’s not about one person. Everyone associated with the person, every member of the family, carries the pain deep in their hearts. The only things left are questions to the inner self and the lingering thoughts that I could have saved him.
Dak Prescott knows the way to end the mental health epidemic
Soon after his brother’s suicide in 2020, Prescott opened up about the pain of losing Jace. It wasn’t just a family tragedy. It was a personal awakening. Jace, who had cared for their mother during her fight with colon cancer, never showed the full weight of what he carried. Dak has admitted he didn’t know how deep his brother’s struggle ran. “We can’t see those battles unless we show them to each other,” he said. That 5-year-old message resonates deeply even today.
We all know someone fighting in silence. And Dak is urging us to stop waiting for the right moment, because that moment might come too late. That’s why his message echoed loudly even then, “Our adversity is always gonna be too much for ourselves, but never too much for a community,” he said. That’s not just a quote, it’s a way. Collective effort can heal any pain.
What makes Dak’s words powerful isn’t just the pain behind them, it’s the purpose. He’s trying to create a world where no one feels like they have to suffer alone. He wants to build a culture where vulnerability is strength and mental health is treated with the same urgency as physical health. “We have to share those things,” he said. And by doing so himself, he’s leading the way, one interview, one locker room conversation, one community message at a time. For Cowboys fans, it’s a reminder that leadership goes far beyond the huddle.
So, as the 2025 season kicks off and the lights shine bright on AT&T Stadium, Dak’s message remains just as important as any game-winning drive. Check your people and be present. Be kind. Dak’s not just asking for applause, he’s asking to step up.
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