FRISCO, Texas– When Dak Prescott stepped up to the plate Monday night as the first hitter in the Cowboys' charity Home Run Derby event, he had three practice swings that barely made it out of the batting cage.
But when it was time to start the actual round, his first swing resulted in a home run over the centerfield fence.
Sound familiar?
That's pretty much how the offseason and training camp went for Prescott last year as a rookie. His practices left a lot to be desired and he certainly had some teaching moments on the fields in Oxnard, Calif.
But when the lights came on to play in real games, Prescott looked like anything but a rookie. And that carried on to the rest of the season and Prescott had one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history, not only setting numerous rookie QB records but earning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year as well.
So what's next for the new franchise quarterback of the Cowboys as he enters season two? Can he get better?
"Oh man, there's a lot of things I can do to get better," Prescott said. "I can study film better. Get better with my drop-backs. There's a lot to get better."
But confidence wise, Dak said he's obviously way ahead of the game from this time last year, when he was a wide-eyed fourth-round pick taking third- and fourth-team reps.
"Completely different. This is my first offseason and I get to kinda run the show," he said. "I'm trying to get better every day."
Prescott said the veterans such as Jason Witten and Sean Lee and even taken a step back from their normal leadership roles to share some of those experiences with their new quarterback.
"I'm having fun with this team. I've got great veterans around me trying to help me."
According to Witten, Prescott deserves that chance to be a team leader, even in his second season.
"Dak's earned that what he did as a rookie. But he understands that you have to go back at it and establish it again," Witten said. "A guy in his second year has to do that. That's what I have to do in my 15th year. He's our quarterback and he's earned that. His voice has to be heard. As he moves forward, he'll be more comfortable with that. I can't say enough good things about how he's gone about it so far."
