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As the daughter of an ex-college football player, it has been innate for me to enjoy anything and everything related to football. I always expressed immense interest in the stories my dad would tell me from his time on the field. He told me during the pre-season his college coach at Tennessee State University would make the players pair up and act as a transportation device for their partners, all the way up the stadium bleachers for hours. He also told me about the unbearable pre-season training camp heat he had to endure and how his team would cook eggs on the top of their helmets to cope. Needless to say, athletes go through some intense physical trials that test their ability to persevere through those challenges.
Football, like many other sports I admire, requires what my dad would call “mental toughness:” the capacity in the brain to push past any challenges in order to achieve a physical goal. I could actively see that ability in fruition when I would watch competitive football players practice their craft. I specifically saw this while watching the Dallas Cowboys compete within the National Football League (NFL).
The Cowboys have a legacy of being “America’s team,” which always confused me because I would get bullied by so many boys in my school growing up for talking about quarterback Tony Romo’s undeniable pass connection to tight end Jason Witten or about my excitement for Dak Prescott earning his full-time position as quarterback in 2016. It seemed that, at least in my proximity, everyone hated the Cowboys franchise. Regardless, I think their repertoire of five super bowls and multiple appearances in the Pro Bowl would support the respect that their alleged fandom provides. Not to mention the NFL legends that came from the program such as “Prime Time” Deion Sanders (1995-1999), running back Emmitt Smith (1990-2002), and quarterback Troy Aikman (1989-2001).
Although being a fan of and cheering on an organization as renowned as Dallas is quite exhilarating, I find my interest in football being associated with the ability of players to have their “mental toughness” co-exist on and off the field. Dak Prescott, considering he is the face of the Cowboys franchise during my era, has caught my eye as being exemplary at this neurological ability. After Prescott was drafted from Mississippi State University–where he dominated his conference–he began playing as the backup quarterback under Tony Romo. When Tony Romo suffered a debilitating back injury and lost the efficiency to be a starter quarterback, the Cowboys transitioned Dak into his position of leadership.
Prescott had the classic “underdog story” (although nowhere near Tom Brady’s). His years as a Cowboy were filled with nothing but sophisticated play making, poised passmaking, and ideal leadership. These efforts were not easy for him to execute, however. Prior to his debut as a Cowboy, his mother passed away from colon cancer. This is why he dedicates every touchdown by raising his head towards the sky, kissing his pointer finger and lifting it up towards his mother in heaven. Unfortunately, that loss wasn’t the only one the football star had to navigate. In 2020, he lost his brother to his fight with mental health.
These losses in a young person’s life are enough to cripple them into a low-functioning apparatus for the rest of their life. Prescott, however, had to find a way to compartmentalize his pain and continue delivering a Dallas Cowboys worthy performance on the field. He described the need to push past challenges by stating, “It sounds cliché, but really, I try to always find strength in adversity.” To honor his brother, Prescott used his platform to advocate for mental health support in Americans and monetary resources to aid the progression of mental health organizations. His ability to show “mental toughness” off the field, and on the field from his continued high performance, gave him the opportunity to not only be nominated for, but win the Walter Payton Man of The Year Award in 2022.
Football offers a sense of humility within my life. Yes, competitive players seem to dominate the limits of what makes one human by their god-like athletic abilities. But, knowing that “mental toughness” is not just an innate talent, but something that one can actively work for, gives me inspiration that I can do the same thing in my life as a twenty-year-old college student. Falling in love with football’s persevering nature was one of the most beautiful gifts that my dad was able to give me; it ignited confidence in myself to push through whatever life may throw at me.