Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Reflects on Losing His Mom to Colon Cancer, Says She Was ‘the Best’

Dak Prescott volunteered to film a PSA video in collaboration with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance

Dak Prescott is urging people to get tested for colon cancer.

On Friday, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback, 30, joined TODAY where he spoke about his mission to raise awareness for early detection. Prescott’s mom, Peggy, died from colon cancer in 2013 when he was still in college.

When asked about his mom Prescott said she was “the best.”

“Obviously, you can just tell [I’m] brightening up, getting the opportunity to just speak about her,” he said. He added that she was “very selfless, hardworking, loved her boys, did anything for her three boys. I am who I am because of my mom.”

Prescott recently volunteered to film a PSA video in collaboration with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance’s Lead from Beyond campaign. The cheeky campaign, launched in 2022, raises awareness about the importance of getting tested for colon cancer through humor, with past videos starring Terry Crewsand Terry Crews.

According to the National Cancer Institute, colon cancer is the second-deadliest cancer in the United States.

In the latest video, Prescott explains how people can get tested with either a colonoscopy or an at-home test kit. “Grab a sample collection container and place a sticker of something you want to s— on right on the underside,” he says at one point.

“Obviously 30 and 40-year-old men, African Americans, whites, it doesn’t even matter,” he told TODAY. “If you’ve had prior health issues, something with your stomach, or any other concerns, have anxiety about getting checked, I hope somebody watches that, I hope somebody says, ‘You know, this is easier than I thought.’ ”

“At the end of the day, my purpose and my reason I’m at this platform is not for football, it’s to share my story. It’s to inspire others,” he continued.

In February, Prescott was named 2022’s Walter Payton Man of the Year for his charity foundation work centered on cancer research, in honor of his mother, as well as suicide prevention, in his brother’s memory.

The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is given to an NFL player who shows “his excellence on and off the field,” according to the league.

Prescott began by thanking everyone around him, from his father and siblings, to the Cowboys organization, to those working on his foundation, called the Faith Fight Finish Foundation.

“I want to acknowledge the person who has had the biggest influence on my life, my mother, Peggy,” he said. “My mother was, and still is, my moral compass. And through my own charitable contributions, I seek to share her strength and courage with with world.”

“She was one of a kind,” he continued, adding, “My mother inspired me and motivated me to be great despite the circumstances.”

Prescott also explained that he expanded the work of his foundation after his brother, Jace, died by suicide in 2020.

“But since the work also honors my brother, Jace, who as you saw passed from suicide during COVID in 2020, I made a promise that that would be one life taken to save millions,” he said.