Growing up in Haughton, Louisiana, Jace Prescott—affectionately known as “Moose“—was the kind of big brother every kid dreams of. At 6’6” and nearly 400 pounds, he was a towering presence on the football field, yet off the field, he was gentle and nurturing. His high school coach, Rodney Guin, recalled, “He was a great kid who dominated games,” highlighting Jace’s ability to balance his formidable athleticism with a kind-hearted nature.
Often described as “big teddy bear,” Jace was the middle child among the three Prescott brothers. After finishing high school, Jace went on to play offensive line at Northwestern State University from 2008 to 2010, appearing in 25 games. He started 11 games in his senior year, showing solid consistency and work ethic. Though he didn’t go pro, Jace’s time there built the discipline he later passed on to Dak Prescott. How?
While his elder brother, Tad, was a tight end at Northwestern State University, it was Jace who first handed football to his younger brother, Dak. Jace sparked football passion in Dak that would shape his NFL career. Unfortunately, Jace passed away in April 2020 at the age of 31 after battling severe depression and anxiety.
On Wednesday, Dak took to his official Instagram handle and remembered his big brother as he shared a picture of himself with Jace and Tad, while writing an emotional message. “I Miss you, Moose! We love you, Brother, you’ll never be forgotten,” Dak wrote in his IG story. After Jace’s tragic death, Dak revealed in an interview that the cause of his brother’s death was suicide.
“I’ll never get another hug in my life like the ones he gave,” Dak told Graham Bensinger in 2020 during an interview. Dak and Tad told Bensinger that their mother, Peggy, who passed away after suffering from colon cancer, had a heavy impact on Jace’s mental health. Dak was in college at Mississippi State at the time when his mother was battling cancer. And it was Jace who spent time with Peggy as the disease progressed and made her condition worse with time.
“You can’t even put into words the burden,” Prescott told Bensinger. “It’s something only Jace knew. And he didn’t necessarily share that. Jace never was really much of a talker. When something like that was a huge burden on him, he didn’t know how to share it — didn’t know how to be vulnerable about it.” Dak saw Jace just three days before his death.
Dak said he woke up that day to find his dad standing in his room, and a bunch of missed calls from Tad. That’s when he knew something was wrong. When his dad broke the news, Dak didn’t know about how much pain his brother was going through. “He had a lot of burdens on him,” Prescott said of Jace. “He had a lot of tough things, and my sense of saying that is it showed me how vulnerable we have to be as humans, how open we have to be.”
After their mom’s tragic death, Jace battled and depression. No wonder the Cowboys‘ QB encouraged others to seek help who are going through the same struggles.
Meanwhile, a few years after his brother’s death, Prescott decided to help his high school, where he and Jace started their football career.
Dak Prescott contributed to his high school in Haughton
“He stood out everywhere he went; that almost bugged him.” These are the words of Josh O’Nishea, a fellow member of Haughton High’s class of 2007. Why? Simple: before he was protecting the QBs at Northwestern State University, Jace had a standout career at Haughton High School, Louisiana. The Cowboys’ QB’s brother earned four-time all-district, three-time all-Bossier Parish, and two-time all-state honors.
Along the way, Jace also led his team to the district championship in the first two years of his high school career. Safe to say Dak wasn’t the only one making waves on the field. Cut to the present, and Haughton High announced that Dak Prescott is all set to donate to their football program. And if the reports are true, Dak is donating over $1.1 million to upgrade its stadium and weight room.
November 3, 2024, Atlanta, Georgia, USA: Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott 4 calls a play during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Atlanta USA – ZUMAw109 20241103_fap_w109_018 Copyright: xDebbyxWongx
And oh, the school’s going to replace the old scoreboard that will now be called Dak Prescott Field at Harold E. Harlan Stadium. Once the renovation is complete, the weight room will be equipped with new equipment, and not just the football teams, but the baseball team could also use it. As for the Stadium, besides football, the soccer team can also play on the field, considering the stadium has a new turf.
Thanks to Dak Prescott’s efforts, it’s clear that other kids will feel inspired to pursue careers in sports media.
The post “Miss You”: Cowboys’ Dak Prescott Mourns Deceased Family Member With Emotional Message After $1.1M Noble Gesture appeared first on EssentiallySports.