Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott Brings Manning Camp Into Debut vs Giants
Dallas Cowboys rookie quarterback Dak Prescott’s NFL career begins against a New York Giants team whose quarterback once mentored him
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning generally doesn’t concern himself with an opponent’s offense. This weekend when the Giants visit the Dallas Cowboys, he might break with that tradition, if just for a quick glimpse or two here and there to check up on a former Manning Passing Academy camper and counselor.
That would be Cowboys rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, the Cowboys fourth-round draft pick (135th overall) and former Manning Passing Academy camper/counsellor, who makes his NFL debut Sunday.
Prescott still has very vivid memories of his time spent at the camp, held every June at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, LA and hosted by former Saints great Archie Manning and his sons Cooper, Peyton and Eli.
“I definitely learned a lot,” he said via conference call. “It was great to be around Eli and Peyton—the whole Manning family—and just have them coach us and teach us some things.”
Prescott finished the 2016 preseason completing 78 percent of his 58 attempts for 454 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions. He has certainly caught the eye of Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, who in a conference call with Giants beat writers this week, described the rookie’s approach to the game as “outstanding.”
“He is a very mature guy and he takes a very professional approach to everything that he does and I think that has given him a chance to learn quickly and to get better in a short period,” Garrett said.
“Right from the start when we brought him into the rookie minicamp, his approach was outstanding. He studies, he prepares, he is ready for opportunities when they are presented to him and, for the most part, he has taken advantage of them.”
That should come as no surprise considering Prescott has always had his eye on becoming an NFL starting quarterback. Though, he admitted he didn’t think he’d be thrown into the deep end of the pool so soon.
But this is football and injuries change thing in an instant. Prescott finds himself in the spotlight’s glare after long-time starter Tony Romo suffered a broken back in a preseason game, an injury that has left him out indefinitely.
“I’ve been preparing all my life, and I guess you could say since I’ve been drafted to be in this position,” he said.
“Wouldn’t have expected for it to happen this early, but it did unfortunately. But life doesn’t really change for me, I’m the same. I mean I prepare myself each and every day when I was third-string to the way I am now, to put my best effort out there on film, game day, and in practice.
“For it to be a reality now, to be a starting quarterback, it’s fun just to get in the huddle and be around a bunch of great guys and get to play in this division.”
Prescott, who said he remembers how calm and laid back Eli Manning was during the camp, said he really learned a lot in his junior year of high school as a camper. The rookie described that summer as “the most vital time of my learning stage at this position.”
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“I wanted to go to just kind of learn some stuff on drops,” Prescott said. “How the quarterbacks think mentally and things like and there’s no better place to go than the Manning camp, the first family of football. It was definitely great and it’s all worked out apparently.”
It certainly has worked out for the 6-2, 238-pound former signal caller at Mississippi State. Not only will he have one of the best offensive lines in football protecting him, he’ll also have a collection of skill players in receiver Dez Bryant, tight end Jason Witten and running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris to help make sure his NFL career gets off on the right foot.
“I wouldn’t say it makes the job easier, but a lot less stress knowing that you’ve got guys around to make plays, that you don’t have to do too much,” Prescott said. “I can just go in there and play my game.
“I know I’ve got guys around me that have been to Pro Bowls, that have played a lot of games and faced (the Giants) a bunch. So they’ve seen it all.”
Well, almost everything. The Cowboys have only seen glimpses of the new-look Giants defense, a unit that feasted off of making life for opposing quarterbacks miserable this summer. If Prescott is nervous about facing a Giants defensive front that consists of ends Olivier Vernon and Jason Pierre-Paul and tackles Damon Harrison and Johnathan Hankins, he wouldn’t admit to it.
He does, however, realize that Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is probably going to come after him,
“Yeah, definitely. I think they’ll throw some stuff at me that I haven’t seen, see how I react, see how I handle it being a rookie,” Prescott said.
“I think, honestly, they’re going to throw some stuff at me and be bluffing and just kind of drop back to see if I make some mistakes.”
That’s just fine with the young man whose preparation and attention to detail seems to be light years ahead of any rookie to grace the NFL landscape in some time.
“We’ve got a great game plan going in, and I know it’s a great defense over there, so I’m excited for the match-up,” he said. “I’m watching film and I’ll be ready.”
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