Dak Prescott Deserves an Ovation like No Other
The legend of Dak Prescott will come to a close on Saturday night at the conclusion of the Egg Bowl.
Saturday’s game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Ole Miss Rebels will be heated as always. But it will also be senior night, and since Dak Prescott is a senior, it will be the last time he suits up in the Maroon and White at Davis Wade Stadium.
The seniors always get a special ovation on Senior Night. College football fans across the country appreciate all the players for their favorite teams, and Mississippi State fans are no different. But when Dak Prescott runs out on the field, Bulldog fans need to make the Earth shake because they are so loud when they give him his ovation.
Dak Prescott should be applauded because he overcame his own liabilities. When Dak received playing time in 2012 as a redshirt freshman, he came in for short yardage situations to get first downs or touchdowns. It didn’t appear the coaching staff had much faith in him to do much more than that. I found myself asking if this was truly the guy who was going to lead the program when Tyler Russell left. Not only did he overcome those liabilities, he became the best player Mississippi State ever had.
Dak Prescott should be applauded for sticking to his commitment. Mississippi State was one of the first to offer Prescott a scholarship. He is a native of Louisiana, and LSU didn’t offer a scholarship until very late in the game. And when they did, Dak Prescott stayed true to his word and signed with Mississippi State.
Dak Prescott should be applauded for improving in ways unimaginable. From those times as a freshman where he was brought in to just get 2 or 3 yards, to the time where he threw for over 500 yards against Arkansas, Dak Prescott was a shell of what he is now.
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Dak Prescott should be applauded for bringing Mississippi State a higher national profile. Mississippi State plays in the best conference in the country. But with the Alabamas, Auburns, LSUs, Georgias, and Floridas clogging up the national attention the SEC gets, there is rarely any left for a school like Mississippi State. That all changed with the emergence of Dak Prescott as a transcendent player.
Dak Prescott should be applauded for showing how to respond to adversity. When he lost his mother in 2013, he easily could have let that change who he was as a person and player, but he didn’t. When he was assaulted in Panama City Beach, he could have allowed that to affect the way he treated those he didn’t know. But he has handled it all with class and dignity, and Prescott has shown how to respond when times get tough.
Dak Prescott should be applauded for being the best to ever wear the Maroon and White. Dak won’t be the highest Mississippi State player ever drafted by an NFL team. If what the scouts say, Prescott won’t be the most productive player the Bulldogs have ever placed in the NFL. But Dak Prescott is responsible for taking the Bulldogs to the #1 ranking for the first time in school history. Dak Prescott received more votes for the Heisman Trophy than any other Mississippi State player. Dak Prescott is the most iconic player to play for the Bulldogs.
Saturday night will be emotional for fans of Mississippi State. They’ll get to see Dak play in Davis Wade Stadium for the last time, and while many fans believe the quarterback situation will be in good hands after Dak is gone, nothing is certain. Many around the country have asked if Mississippi State fans truly appreciate what they have in Dak Prescott. So when he runs out on the field for the final time Saturday night, everyone needs to make sure the country knows how much Bulldog fans appreciate the best they’ve ever seen.