At just 19, Dak Prescott faced a heartbreaking loss that changed his life forever, but the pain he carried helped shape the NFL star he would eventually become
Dak Prescott lost his mother while his football dream was still taking shape
He was still a young college quarterback when his mother, Peggy, was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer. In the summer of 2012, Peggy was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer. She was only 52. Peggy died on November 3, 2013, after an approximately year-and-a-half battle with cancer. When he received the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award following the 2022 season, he dedicated the honor to Peggy. In April 2020, Dak’s older brother, Jace Prescott, died at 31. Jace’s death came during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when much of the world was experiencing isolation and uncertainty. Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news , check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule .
Because jace had carried a heavy responsibility within the family during Peggy’s illness and had served as one of her primary caregivers, the loss was especially painful. Because dak was not simply dealing with personal grief, that was an important part of his story. Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines His story is therefore bigger than his statistics or the Cowboys jersey he wears.
A few years later, he lost his older brother Jace to suicide. Dak later revealed that Jace had died by suicide. Instead, he has also allowed them to see the son who lost his mother, the brother who lost Jace and the person who struggled with his own mental health. The son who lost his mother while still in college went on to become a national sports figure. The younger brother who lost Jace later used his platform to encourage people to ask for help when they are struggling.
Dak Prescott has spent years being known as the face of the Dallas Cowboys, but his journey to becoming an NFL star was shaped by a life that tested him long before he reached the biggest stage in football. Those losses left a permanent mark on Dak, but they also changed the way he looked at his own life. Instead of allowing grief to define him, he used it to help others and became an outspoken voice for cancer awareness and mental health. Peggy Prescott was more than Dak’s mother. She was one of the people who helped shape the person he would become. At the time, Dak was playing college football at Mississippi State and trying to establish himself as a quarterback. His life was already moving toward football, but suddenly, his family was facing something far more important than a game. Peggy continued to support her son while going through treatment. She made an effort to attend his games whenever she could, even as cancer took a growing toll on her health. For Dak, those moments became memories he would carry for the rest of his life. Dak was still in college and had not yet become the NFL quarterback millions of people would eventually know. Losing his mother at such an important point in his life could have completely changed his path. Instead, it became part of the motivation he carried with him. Dak has repeatedly spoken about the influence his mother had on him. He has called her his moral compass and has continued to honor her through his football career and charitable work. But the loss did not end with his mother’s death. Years later, another devastating tragedy hit the Prescott family. Dak was now dealing with another loss involving someone he loved deeply. The timing made everything even harder. Dak was also dealing with the aftermath of a serious ankle injury that threatened to interrupt his football career. For someone who had already experienced the death of his mother, the loss of his brother brought another wave of grief. Dak eventually began speaking openly about what he was going through. He talked about anxiety, depression and the importance of getting professional help instead of trying to carry everything alone. He was also one of the NFL’s biggest stars, playing a position where athletes are often expected to appear strong no matter what is happening behind the scenes. He chose to talk about it anyway. Dak’s football career continued to rise even while his personal life was filled with challenges. He could have allowed people to see only the quarterback wearing the Cowboys star, throwing touchdowns in front of millions of fans. His journey shows that success does not mean a person stops carrying their difficult memories. Sometimes, it means learning how to carry them differently. Dak has continued to honor Peggy by supporting cancer awareness and encouraging people to take colon cancer seriously. He has honored Jace by speaking about mental health and suicide prevention and by supporting efforts designed to help people who may be struggling. The boy who watched his mother battle a devastating illness eventually became an NFL quarterback. That does not make the losses any less painful, and Dak has never suggested that they are. Instead, he has found a way to let those losses influence the person he wants to be. Football gave Dak Prescott a platform, but his experiences gave that platform a deeper purpose. His mother and brother remain part of his story, not simply as painful memories, but as the reason he continues to use his success to help other people. For Dak, becoming a famous NFL quarterback was only one part of the journey. The more powerful part has been what he chose to do after life gave him reasons to stop. Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
The Dallas Cowboys selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, with the 135th overall pick. In 2017, he launched the Faith. He quickly became the team’s starting quarterback and developed into one of the most recognizable players in the league. But the success did not erase what had happened before it. If anything, Dak found a way to carry his family with him. Fight. Finish. Foundation, inspired by his mother’s battle with cancer. The name came from the words and attitude Peggy carried during her fight. The foundation initially focused heavily on cancer awareness, research and helping families affected by the disease. After Jace’s death, its work expanded to include mental health and suicide prevention. That connection between his two biggest losses became central to Dak’s work away from football. He has spoken about wanting Jace’s death to have a purpose by helping other people seek support before reaching a crisis. Rather than keeping his grief private, he used his position as a high-profile athlete to start conversations that many people still find difficult to have. That has become one of the most meaningful parts of Dak’s story.