Dallas Cowboys’ Cole Beasley: “Dak Prescott is just a gamer”

Nov 6, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) reacts to throwing a touchdown with wide receiver Cole Beasley (11) against the Cleveland Browns in the first half at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 6, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) reacts to throwing a touchdown with wide receiver Cole Beasley (11) against the Cleveland Browns in the first half at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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According to Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley, second-year quarterback Dak Prescott has the unique ability to raise his level of play when it counts.

The rise of Dak Prescott surprised a lot of people in 2016. That includes members of the Dallas Cowboys themselves. Wide receiver Cole Beasley recently admitted he didn’t have a clue what would happen when Prescott took a snap under center for the first time.

In fact, it could be argued that Prescott was in as low as fourth on the depth chart at some point early last offseason. Famously a late fourth round selection out of Mississippi State, Dak arrived in Dallas with Tony Romo, Kellen Moore and Jameill Showers already filling out the depth chart.

And although both Romo and Moore would later suffer injuries that would open the door for Prescott to shine, early on it was Showers that was the young quarterback turning heads in OTAs. The simple fact was Dak struggled with accuracy last season during practices. But when the lights of the big game turned on, Prescott shined.

"“…[Prescott] came [into] camp, the first two-minute [drill] and from there on you knew he had it,” Beasley told the Dallas Morning News. “Just throwing around out there a little bit, he’ll have a few throws where he’s off, but once game time comes and there’s competition, he’s just a gamer. He locks in and he’s spot on. Some guys have that and some guys don’t. It’s awesome to play with a guy who is like that.”"

It’s still hard to imagine how a late round prospect so many NFL teams, scouts, executives and fans misjudged was able to usurp superstar Tony Romo in Dallas, lead the Cowboys to a 13-3 record and post one of the greatest rookie seasons by a quarterback in league history.

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Although the Dak Prescott story is only one season old in Dallas, it’s already the stuff of legend. The next few years in Prescott’s career will determine his legacy. But the 23-year old is a gamer, and certainly appears up to the challenge.