All About Dak Prescott’s Parents, Peggy and Nathaniel Prescott

Dak Prescott holds one of the most prominent positions in the NFL – quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys – but off the field he is the devoted son of his father, Nathaniel Prescott, and his late mother, Peggy Prescott.

The couple welcomed Dak in July 1993 after having older sons, Thaddeus “Tada” and Jace. Around the time Dak entered elementary school, Nathaniel and Peggy divorced.

According to Tad, Dak was especially close to their late mother, who died of colon cancer in 2013. The star athlete spent a lot of time with Peggy growing up, and after he left for college at Mississippi State University in 2011, they’re still close. constantly communicated.

Even when he was in college, they talked every day, Tad told ESPN.

Dak founded the organization in Peggy’s honor shortly after her death and named it Walter Payton Man of the Year 2022 for his foundation’s cancer research work. In his acceptance speech, he paid tribute to his mother.

“I want to acknowledge the person who has had the biggest impact on my life, my mother, Peggy,” he said. “My mother was, and still is, my moral compass. And through my charitable contributions, I strive to share her strength and courage with the world.”

“She was unique,” he added. “My mother inspired and motivated me to be great beyond my circumstances.”

Dak also has a close relationship with his dad, Nathaniel. “Me and my dad have always had a close relationship, different than my brothers, I guess,” Dak told Fort Worth Star-Telegram 2017. “He was always there for me.”

Here’s everything you need to know about Dak Prescott’s parents, Nathaniel and Peggy Prescott.

Nathaniel and Peggy met in high school

Dak Prescott and his mom Peggy Prescott.

Dak Prescott Instagram

Dak’s parents were high school sweethearts who began dating in 1979. The couple eventually split, but remained friends.

“Peggy and I divorced, but that didn’t separate my relationship with my kids,” Nathaniel said Fort Worth Star-Telegram 2017. “Also, Peggy and I still had a constant Wednesday date after the divorce. We were best friends. We just weren’t a couple anymore.”

On In detail with Graham Bensinger In 2020, Dak said that Nathaniel considered Peggy his “best friend” even after their divorce.

They welcomed three children

Dak Prescott and his brothers Tad and Jace.

Dak Prescott Instagram

Nathaniel and Peggy had three sons together. Their eldest son, Thaddeus (affectionately called “Tad”), was followed by Jace and Dak.

After their parents divorced, the three boys grew up with Peggy in a three-bedroom trailer in Haughton, a small town in Louisiana.

During the interview at In detail with Graham Bensinger In 2020, Dak admitted that he and his brothers competed for “anything and everything” when they were younger. Nevertheless, the siblings were closely related.

“Since they are the youngest, they are five or six years older than me, so I always had to prove myself,” he recalled. “From who can eat Oreos the fastest to throwing a football down the soccer field to just playing basketball or whatever, it’s always been a competition.”

Nathaniel was a football player

Dak got his football genes from his dad. After growing up in Louisiana, Nathaniel played defensive end and outside linebacker at Grambling State University, according to a 2017 interview with the Dallas Cowboys.

Injuries derailed his career, but he passed on his affinity for the game to his sons. Tad and Jace were stars at Haughton High School, per Clarion-Ledger.

Tad continued his passion for football after graduation as an offensive lineman at Northwestern State University before his playing days were cut short by a “season-ending injury” in 2009.

Peggy was a supportive mom

Dak Prescott with his mom Peggy Prescott and niece Kennedy.

Dak Prescott Instagram

Peggy may not have played soccer, but she was an avid fan, even getting a tattoo of a soccer ball with the number three on it as a sign of respect for her sons.

Her boys remember her being a vocal fixture at all their games, from kid’s leagues to college.

“With the cannons going off on the football field and people yelling, you could still hear my mom’s sharp whistle over everyone,” Tad told ESPN in 2013. “She wasn’t a mom who sat under a blanket and kept her mouth shut the whole time you could hear her screaming, ‘Hit him!’ ”

“She was the best soccer mom,” Nathaniel said during an interview with Graham Bensinger in 2020. “She went from knowing soccer in high school because I played, to being authoritarian in soccer. And Dak said that sometimes it’s a little embarrassing because she would call the coach and let them have it.”

Even after her cancer diagnosis, Peggy still traveled from Louisiana to Mississippi for Dak’s home games.

Peggy died in 2013

Dak Prescott with his mom Peggy Prescott.

Dak Prescott Instagram

Dak learned that his mother was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in the summer of 2012, and a year and a half later she died on November 3, 2013 at the age of 52.

The NFL star appeared on Today show in 2023 to advocate for colon cancer testing and beamed as he recalled memories with his mom.

He said he remembers Peggy as a woman who was “very selfless, hardworking, loved her boys, would do anything for her three sons.” He added, “I am who I am because of my mom.”

“I learned so many lessons watching my mom fight colon cancer,” Dak wrote on his foundation’s website. “Her courage and fight through that whole battle just showed me how mentally strong one person can be.”

Dak continued to use his platform to honor Peggy. He points to the sky after the touchdown as a nod to his mom, and wears the number 4 on his jersey to represent her September 4th birthday.

Nathaniel moved to be closer to his son

Dak Prescott celebrates after beating the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium on October 10, 2021 in Arlington, Texas.

Richard Rodriguez/Getty

The family patriarch worked as a city bus driver in Austin for several years before moving to Frisco, Texas, just a few miles from Dhaka.

“He wanted to be in Dallas. I wanted it to be in Dallas,” Nathaniel said Fort Worth Star-Telegram in 2017. “It’s more practical. He is there for me. If I need something, he helps me and does it.”

Dak started a foundation in Peggy’s honor

Dak Prescott with his mom Peggy Prescott.

Dak Prescott/Instagram

Dak is still guided by his mother’s mantra, “Faith. Fight. Finish.” and named his foundation after her word.

According to its website, Faith Fight Finish “invests in the future of our youth by empowering individuals, families and communities to find strength through adversity.” Funding cancer research and providing mental health support are the foundation’s main goals.

“Losing my mom and watching her fight motivated me,” Dak wrote. “As much as I can raise awareness and educate people about how to beat cancer, showing them how to make their plight their inspiration is probably the most important goal.”

After his brother Jace died by suicide on April 23, 2020, Dak also expanded his foundation’s work to include prevention services.

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Source: HIS Education