"A guy will play a whole lot better for his brother": When Dak Prescott was focused on uniting his Cowboys teammates

Dak Prescott entered the NFL in 2016 as a fourth-round pick. While he might have been drafted earlier, if not for certain predraft missteps, he has since risen to prominence. Today, Prescott is the highest-paid NFL athlete, earning $60 million in average annual salary.

Right from his rookie season, Prescott was recognized as a locker-room leader. He didn't just join the team. He changed the culture within it. Perhaps this transformation is why Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was willing to invest heavily in him.

In an interview with Michael J. Mooney of GQ in 2017, Prescott said:

"A guy will play a whole lot better for his brother than he will a co-worker. When it really matters, when adversity, when success, when either one of them hits, he's going to play a whole lot better for the person who knows about his everyday life, his mom, his dad, his brothers, sisters, son, whatever it may be."

Prescott just had four interceptions in his rookie season, a stark contrast to his predecessor, Tony Romo. He once recorded 19 picks in a single season while playing alongside Dez Bryant. Prescott's success, he believes, comes from a particular mindset.

“When you’re supposed to throw a pick—that is, when you miss your target—and your guy catches it? To me, that s**t doesn’t happen unless you’re living right. If you’re living wrong, you throw a great pass, the receiver somehow drops it, and the other guy’s gonna pick it off.”

Dak Prescott changed the locker room environment in Dallas

In the same interview, former Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley noted that Dak Prescott's arrival revitalized the team's dynamic.

“Last year, you’d come in and get your work done, and you’d go home as soon as you could,” Beasley said. “Now people want to stick around and hang out.”

As a quarterback, Prescott understands the responsibility of being the team leader and embraces the role wholeheartedly.