Cowboys’ Dak Prescott meets fan who said he wouldn’t be alive without QB’s mental health message

FRISCO, Texas —  Everyone handles grief, depression and anxiety differently in life, but sometimes the biggest thing someone suffering with those emotions can hear is that someone else dealt with a similar issue and found a way to get through it. 

That was certainly the case for the Dallas Cowboys‘ International Fan of the Year Eduardo Flores. He had the honor of announcing the Cowboys’ first of two seventh-round picks (the 233rd overall pick) in the 2024 NFL Draft live from Detroit last Saturday, and Flores spent part of his time in the spotlight to say, “I wouldn’t be standing here today without [Cowboys quarterback] Dak Prescott.”

On Friday night, he and Prescott met at the quarterback’s “Faith, Fight, Finish” Foundation Gala, an event to raise money for a variety of causes: colon cancer research, mental health, suicide prevention, to bridge the gap between law enforcement and their communities and to aide those facing hardship.

“It shows you how important it is to speak out,” Prescott said Friday. “When you say something, believe in something and say something, if it reaches on person, it has done its job. Don’t hesitate to speak from the heart. Me and my mission … is so that others don’t experience and feel the pain that me and my family have and go through with my brother [Jace] personally. To be able to help prevent that [suicide] in different ways and to see that come firsthand live in the draft, letting the world know, is truly special. 

Flores referenced his dad for his own love of the Cowboys, who died back in 2018 when Flores was only 19, according to the Dallas Morning News. His father sparked his love of Dallas as he was a superfan, creating a Cowboys fan webpage in 2016. Flores has since maintained the site in his father’s memory, which helps him deal with his grief from the loss of his dad. 

He credits Prescott for opening up in 2020 about the anxiety and depression he suffered while processing both the death of his mom Peggy, who died in 2013 because of colon cancer, and the death of his brother Jace, who committed suicide. The NFL named Prescott its Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2022 for the work the quarterback’s “Faith Fight Finish” foundation does regarding its handful of causes: colon cancer research, mental health, suicide prevention, bridging a gap between law enforcement and its communities and assisting those faced with life-challenging adversity.

Prescott felt Flores’ quick speech fully upon watching the video of it after receiving in it in a text from his brother Tad, saying he plans to personally reach out to Flores. 

“Yeah, it was special. It was super special,” Prescott said earlier this month at the Reliant Home Run Derby, which benefitted the Salvation Army, when asked if he saw Flores’ message ahead of Dallas’ draft pick. “That was one of those moments that hit you. You know what I mean? Everything hit you. I didn’t see it live. I got the message. I think it came from my brother, Tad, and so to get it from him, and he said ‘look at the impact that you have’ was special. It was special, and actually think Tad got in contact with them. Yeah, we’ll connect, and that was a huge moment because that is what I put a lot of pride into that and care for that. Caring to devote my time sharing my story, inspiring others, giving hope and just to hear that firsthand on a stage like that, it was special.”

Being able to be a light for others through giving is something Prescott believes is blessing. 

“It’s huge,” Prescott said of making an impact through charitable work. . … “It’s something that I take a lot of pride in. … I’m blessed.”