What does Dak Prescott have on his jersey? All about Cowboys QB’s special patch

Dak Prescott is the longest-tenured starting quarterback in the NFL. He has held on to that spot for the Dallas Cowboys since beating Tony Romo during his rookie year (2016). Since then, he has led them to four playoff appearances, including consecutive berths in 2021 and 2022.

This season, the former Mississippi State standout has led the Cowboys to an 8-3 record leading into Week 13. He has thrown for 2,935 yards and 23 touchdowns as they push for another playoff appearance.

However, as he conducts Dallas’ offense, he’s doing it with a special badge of honor on his jersey.

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Dak Prescott wears a prestigious honor on his jersey

Football fans might have noticed the patch on the upper right corner of Dak Prescott’s jersey.

It’s there for a purpose and reserved only for a chosen few. After winning the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award last year, the eight-year veteran gets that additional feature on his uniform.

Called initially the Man of the Year Award, the NFL dedicated the recognition to the late Chicago Bears running back starting in 1999. The league gives it to the player who best honors their commitment to community impact, philanthropy and on-field excellence.

Each year, every NFL team nominates one player for this award. The league then selects a winner out of the nominees. The winner gets a $250,000 donation to a charity of his choice. Meanwhile, the 31 runners-up get a $50,000 donation on their behalf.

The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner gets a trophy for a football player who doesn’t resemble anyone. Daniel Bennett Schwartz created the trophy in 1969, and its non-descript nature means that even seldom-used players can win the distinction.

Likewise, previous winners like Dak Prescott get a patch depicting the trophy of what the league believes is the highest individual honor.

As of the 2023 season, there are only three active Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winners. Defensive end Calais Campbell won the honor in 2019 and plays for the Atlanta Falcons. Russell Wilson won in 2020 and is now the Denver Broncos quarterback.

Offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth won the award in 2021 but retired after helping the Los Angeles Rams win Super Bowl LVI. J.J. Watt, the 2017 WPMOY winner, retired last season after playing for the Arizona Cardinals.

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Dak Prescott is in illustrious company

By winning the WPMOY award, Dak Prescott joins an elite group of football players and great humanitarians.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas is the award’s first recipient, followed by John Hadl, Willie Lanier, Len Dawson and George Blanda. Meanwhile, Prescott is the fourth Cowboys player to win WPMOY.

Roger Staubach won it in 1978, while Troy Aikman had his turn in 1997. Tight end Jason Witten took home the prestigious distinction in 2012. Before Prescott and Wilson, Eli Manning was the last quarterback to win the award. He was the co-winner with Larry Fitzgerald in 2016.