National Football League

Dak Prescott’s colon-cancer screening PSA draws praise, playfully jabs rival teams

Published Dec. 8, 2023 12:35 p.m. ET

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is causing a stir on social media Friday — but it has nothing to do with his team's pivotal Week 14 showdown at home against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football.

Instead, he's shedding light on an important healthcare topic.

Prescott teamed up with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance and actor Ryan Reynolds’ creative agency, Maximum Effort, for their "Lead from Behind" campaign to raise awareness about the importance of colon-cancer screening. In the ad, Prescott is promoting the at-home screening test, Cologuard, while Reynolds provides some hilarious voiceover.

"As a professional quarterback, I get a lot of s---," Prescott says in the ad. "And I get it. When you're not a fan of something, s----ing on it can make you feel good. But what if I told you that now it could do some good too?"

He goes on to say that "making your feelings absolutely clear" while providing your sample is the best way to go about it. You do this by simply slapping a sticker of something "you want to s--- on" on the bottom of the at-home kit's sample collection container. In the ad, a slew of sticker options appeared, from a bear to a cardinal to a panther.

"Not a fan of marine life?" Prescott asked as he slapped a sticker of a dolphin on the bottom of the container. Other options Prescott highlighted were "old-timey prospectors" (San Francisco) and "large American predatory birds" (Philadelphia). It works with colors, too, as Prescott pointed out with a single brown sticker (Cleveland).

While the ad was lighthearted, the topic is a serious one for Prescott, whose mother died in 2013 at just 52 years old after being diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer — the third-most common cancer worldwide and the second-leading cause of cancer deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

"Losing my mother to colon cancer was devastating, and no one should have to go through that," said Prescott, per Business Wire. "That’s why I started the colon cancer screening and research pillar of my Faith Fight Finish Foundation. Partnering with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance and Lead From Behind is another way I can let people — especially Black Americans, who are at greater risk — know that colon cancer is preventable and there are a variety of screening options."

The Cowboys are sitting at 9-3 headed into Week 14. Prescott, the current favorite to win NFL MVP, boasts the most passing touchdowns (26) in the league, along with the fifth-most passing yards (3,234) and a 108.3 QB rating.

Here's how the sports world reacted on social media.

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