Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett recently shared the behind-the-scenes story of how quarterback Dak Prescott became the face of the franchise. 

During his recent appearance on the Up and Adams Show with Kay Adams on June 18, Garrett revealed how Prescott landed in Dallas after impressing late QB coach Wade Wilson.

“And I'll never forget - it was a Friday night in early March,” Garrett recalled. “He called me up, and he said, 'I think we got one.' I said, 'What?' He said, 'Yeah, I just had Dak Prescott - we had dinner together, we had a workout today, and you're going to love this guy.' And we ended up bringing him into Dallas."

Garrett remembered Wilson being dissatisfied with all the quarterbacks coming out in the draft, stating that nobody could play. But that was until the Cowboys drafted Prescott as a fourth-round pick (No. 135) in the 2016 NFL Draft.

The coach described Prescott as everything a quarterback should be. But it wasn't just his skills and approachability that impressed Garrett. It was also his ability to accept his shortcomings.

He shared a little-known story from Prescott's draft evaluation, revealing that he asked the quarterback about his DUI arrest during a one-on-one meeting before the 2016 NFL Draft.

He believed that such an incident was 'so uncharacteristic of Prescott', as he had gained the trust of Wilson and was viewed as the franchise's 'dark horse' at that time.

"He tells me very specifically what happened - he had had a workout, went out with a couple of his teammates, they went to a Mexican place, he had a margarita, and he was driving home. I think he was driving 40 in a 35, and he gets pulled over," Garrett said. "And so he was very accountable for it. 'This is what I gotta do, I gotta be better' - all the stuff you want a guy to hear. It was a great answer."

Garrett believes that Prescott's composure under scrutiny revealed the type of leadership qualities that the organization was looking for.

Garrett believes Prescott can lead the Cowboys to a Super Bowl

During the Up and Adams Show, Garrett also expressed confidence that the Cowboys can contend for a Super Bowl. Given the positive moves made on the defense during the offseason, Prescott has a "consistently productive offense" to lead this season.

"I think he gives them a chance, and I think he's played so well, and I do think he's an underappreciated player," Garrett told Kay Adams. "...But when you just pull back and watch how he's played for 10 years now, he's just played at a really high level. And I think he gives them a chance to have success. And they've certainly made a lot of positive moves for their defense."

Prescott completed 404 of 600 pass attempts for 4,552 passing yards and 30 touchdowns, ranking first in the league in pass completions, third in passing yards, and fourth in passing touchdowns in 2025.

The former Dallas HC believes that with "great weapons" and resources on the offensive line and Prescott running the show, the Cowboys have a chance to land the Lombardi Trophy in the 2026 season.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit