Former Haughton standout Dak Prescott is looking forward to his first trip to historic Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisc., but to him it’s just a business trip.
Prescott’s Dallas Cowboys (4-1) face the Green Bay Packers (3-1) there Sunday. Kickoff is 3:25 p.m.
“It’ll be exciting,” said Prescott, the Cowboys’ rookie quarterback. “It’s an historic field to go in there and play. But once the clock starts rolling I’m focused on the gameplan and not really worried about that. I guess I’ll take it in after the fact.”
Prescott, a 2011 graduate of Haughton, addressed a variety of topics with the media on Wednesday.
One of the main topics was if all the talk in the media about whether he should remain the starting quarterback once Tony Romo is healthy is a distraction. Romo suffered a broken bone in his back during a preseason game and Prescott has been the starter since.
“As long as we’re winning, I really don’t care,” he said. “Obviously I want to play, the competitor in me. But if we’re winning, I’m happy.
“It’s definitely not a distraction to me. It’s not my call. It doesn’t have anything to do with me. My job is to come in here, like I say, and give these guy a chance to win, get better each and every day and that’s all I focus on.”
Prescott said he doesn’t believe the discussion is a distraction to his teammates either.
“I don’t think these guys pay attention to that controversy or whatever you want to call it,” he said.
“My job is to win, and I’m going to focus on that and if ya’ll want to make it bigger that’s up to ya’ll.”
Prescott said his relationship with Romo has been good since he arrived he Dallas.
“He’s definitely helped me out the whole time I’ve been here from the time I got drafted to now, off the field issues and on the field,” Prescott said. “He’s a great coach during the games, just helping me out as I come to the sideline on things I can do that he may have seen.”
The Cowboys have won four straight games since a season-opening 20-19 loss to the New York Giants. The Packers are coming off a 23-17 win over the Giants. Green Bay’s only loss was to the undefeated Minnesota Vikings 17-14 in Week 2.
The Packers have the ninth-ranked defense in the NFL, allowing an average of 317.8 yards per game. They are No. 1 against the run (42.8) and 24th against the pass (275.0)
The Cowboys have the league’s top rusher in rookie Ezekiel Elliott (109 carries, 546 yards, 109.2 per game).
That the Packers have the No. 1 defense against the run likely won’t require changes to gameplan, Prescott said.
“It really doesn’t change I don’t think,” he said. “We’ve got a great offensive line. They’re the heart of our offense. We go as they go. We’ve got all the trust in them. We feel like they’re the best in the league. We’re going to follow them.”
Prescott has completed 107 of 155 passes for 1,239 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. The 155 attempts without an interception is an NFL record for rookies. He needs eight more attempts without an interception to break Tom Brady’s all-time record start.
Asked the last time he threw an interception, Prescott said he couldn’t remember. A member of the media told him it was during Mississippi State’s bowl game last season.
“I’ve thrown a bunch at practice,” he said.
Prescott is on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine this week. He was also on it twice in college.
He was asked about the legendary cover jinx.
“(I’m) not superstitious and didn’t even know there was a jinx,” he said. “I don’t think it got me the first two times so I should be all right.”
Another topic discussed was Prescott’s propensity for wearing bow ties.
He said it started in college when a clothing store owner in Starkville he became friends with suggest he start wearing one.
But that’s not the only reason he wears them.
“The bow tie is kind of my look,” he said. “It’s not superstition, and I kind of forgot how to tie the regular tie. I tried to put one on one day and said, nah, I’m better with the bow tie.
“I’ve got a bunch and Brandon Carr has given me some peacock bow ties. I’m going to have to pull those out here.”
Prescott also talked about his relationship with fellow rookie Elliott, who is his roommate before games.
“We’re guys that have been hanging out as soon as we got to practice from the time we showed up to rookie minicamp,” he said. “He’s like a brother off the field and in the lockerroom a lot. We’re in the backfield together so we’re always talking ball and stuff.”
The Packers are honoring Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre at the half. Prescott said he doesn’t really have an interest in meeting Favre because he doesn’t get that excited about meeting celebrities in general.
But he watched Favre growing up and admired his style of play.
“He was a great player,” Prescott said. “He was a guy that won, won a lot of games. It didn’t matter how he won. I don’t think he really cared. I think he went and just did it. So that’s awesome for me watching a guy that maybe doesn’t do it the textbook way but definitely goes and gets it done.
“He’s just a true winner, does anything for his team. I’ve never met him but my roommate my first year in college was his nephew. I heard a lot about him and stuff, though.”
— Russell Hedges, rhedges@bossierpress.com
