Tyvis Powell, a former NFL safety, had played professionally for five seasons. As an undrafted prospect, he got to spend time with a lot of different organizations including the Dallas Cowboys. Initially, he had some reservations about their quarterback, Dak Prescott. But, within just a few days his respect grew to such an extent that Powell started seeing Prescott as a true leader.
Advertisement
Powell was brought into the team’s training camp before the 2019 season, and was waived after sustaining an injury. But he still had great anecdotes to share about his time with Prescott, who was entering his fourth season as the team’s quarterback at the time.
“I walked into Dallas and I’m thinking ‘This dude is overrated’,” Powell said on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show. “And I got to be around him, sit down and talk with him. I got to see how he commanded an offense, and how he ran team meetings. I’m like ‘You know what? This dude is a true leader’! Like, I do like that guy.”
Powell likened Prescott’s charisma to Jameis Winston, saying Prescott has the same ability to bring everyone in a locker room together.
The initial doubt on his credentials was something Prescott was probably accustomed to back then. There was doubt when he became a fourth-round pick out of Mississippi State. Nobody expected him to claim the starting job from Tony Romo. But a preseason injury was all Dak needed to seize the opportunity. Today, he’s the highest-paid quarterback in terms of average annual value.
Prescott’s journey in the NFL
The Cowboys found Prescott as a confident young man when they drafted him. They knew at the time that they needed to find a successor for Romo, who was 35 and dealing with injuries. Dallas was in pursuit of Carson Wentz for a brief period, but eventually decided to duck out of that race.
What a decision that has turned out to be. The Cowboys secured their future franchise quarterback for a fraction of the cost, while the Eagles wasted a second overall pick on Wentz, who was solid for them for a while. But now Wentz is on his fifth team in five years.
It’s evident that the Cowboys had made the right decision by going for Prescott. Since joining America’s Team, Prescott has taken off as a player. He has a career record of 76-46 while passing for over 31,000 yards and 213 touchdowns.
Sure, there have been times of doubt with him at the helm. Like the 2022 season, when he threw a league-leading 15 interceptions. But the very next season, he led the NFL in passing TDs with 36. He’s a three-time Pro Bowler, has made the AP Second-Team All-Pro once. And yes, he also won Rookie of the Year in 2016.
Prescott has been able to craft an impressive resume so far. He also signed a new and lucrative extension at the age of 31. And there’s still plenty of time for him to chase down that coveted Super Bowl ring as a true leader like Powell described.
