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Dak Prescott took the College Football World by Storm in 2014. Taking Mississippi State University to Number 1 in the Nation was unheard of. Yet he was the starting QB of a program that had never done it. So maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that he has taken the NFL by storm. I’ll tell you right now that I wasn’t sure that Dak would ever in his career put up the numbers he is putting up right now. But that’s who Dak is. He continues to defy all the naysayers and break all sorts of records.
The Dak Prescott popularity is taking America by storm. Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Virginia, South Carolina, and Alaska have Dak Prescott as the #1 selling jersey. Yes Mississippi has Ezekiel Elliot and not Dak as the #1 selling jersey. I think that has more to do with Dak Prescott already being popular in MS. Dak Prescott has turned the once New Orleans Saints state into a Dallas Cowboys state. I cannot tell you how many people in Starkville wear Dallas Cowboys hats or shirts. You can’t even find a New Orleans Saints shirt in sight. The Dak effect has hit MS and its not just Starkville. Going around the Jackson area you will see a plethora of Dallas gear as well.
Prescott has single handily turned my least favorite NFL team into my favorite NFL team. So it is no surprise to see the entire state of MS back him up. What does surprise me is how recognized his name is.
I was given a Dallas Cowboys T-Shirt with the Number 4 on it for Christmas. Its not a jersey which I like because I will actually wear the shirt. A man in a Seattle shirt a few weeks ago came up to me while I was in Missouri and said that he could not believe how great Dak Prescott was and how he is rooting for him except when they play Seattle. Incredible isn’t it? People around the country recognize Dak’s number. He has to be one of the top 5 recognized NFL Qbs right now and he is only a rookie. In fact he would be unanimous Rookie of the Year if his own teammate Elliot didn’t exist. But he he is still being nominated.
.@Dak is nominated for NFL Rookie of the Year. Visit https://t.co/lbFbbI2Zo0 to vote now!#FromStateToSundays #HailState pic.twitter.com/jFO3JCTHw7
— MSU Football (@HailStateFB) January 12, 2017
Even the die hard anti Cowboy MSU fans would admit this. Prescott could not have gotten drafted to a better team or situation. Dallas is the most popular team in the NFL so any success he has is magnified more than any other QB including Tom Brady. On the flip side you will still see people debating on Romo vs Prescott if Dak has a bad game(which seems to only happen vs New York). But here is the deal, if Dak continues to win with the Cowboys, so does Mississippi State. If Dak indeed does go all the way to the Super Bowl, then MSU will have all sorts of exposure having the starting QB of the NFL’s most popular team be on the most watched event in the country. That in itself makes me a big Dallas fan.
This article would not be complete without mentioning the great video that the Cowboys made about Prescott. With that being said Dak is going to be taking on the hottest team in the NFL Saturday, the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers is really good. I think this will be tougher for Dallas than Atlanta or Seattle. The game is 3:40 Sunday on Fox. And I expect the winner to face Atlanta in the NFC Championship game. Dallas hosting the game gives them a chance because seeing the Cowboys play at the Giants showed that the Cowboys don’t play well in the cold. I think this team can make the Super Bowl. But it will be tough. That said the Super Bowl won’t be any easier as the New England Patriots are expected to face the NFC Champion. Even if Dallas loses on Sunday against Green Bay, its still an incredible season to win the NFC East with a rookie QB and RB. And I expect the Cowboys to be contenders for years to come.