Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has emerged as a household name and the highest-paid player in NFL history.
But did you know that Dak isn’t Prescott’s birth name? Let’s break down his actual name, why he decided to go by Dak instead, and everything else you need to know.
Dak Prescott’s Birth Name
Rayne Dakota Prescott was born on July 29, 1993, in Sulphur, Louisiana. Prescott’s parents, Nathaniel and Peggy, divorced when he was young, and he was raised by his mother, who managed a truck stop. Prescott lived in a trailer park; in fact, he even has a tattoo of the Pine Creek Estates mobile home community on his leg sleeve.
Dak Prescott: Mom did everything she could for us to survive pic.twitter.com/hxJPLc9bkv
— Graham Bensinger (@GrahamBensinger) September 28, 2024
Prescott opened up about his childhood during an interview with Graham Bensinger.
“My mom did whatever it took for us to survive. Sometimes, my mom didn’t have the money for the electric bill, but she could get $40 or so to get a motel room. … Most people would be upset, most people would be mad, but we saw it as a vacation. We saw it as a time to go swimming and to get out of the house, and we’ll figure it out because we have Mom and we’re behind her no matter what.
“My mom did a great job of just masking the adversity or masking the struggle that we went through. … As I got older, obviously you discuss things, and it made sense; it’s easier for her to get $40 to put us in a motel tonight than it is to pay the $170 or $200 bill because three boys are leaving all of her lights on.”
Why Does Prescott Go By Dak?
So, why did Prescott decide to go by Dak? It’s obviously a shortened version of his middle name, Dakota, but why not go by Dakota or Rayne?
Prior to his breakout rookie season in 2016, Prescott opened up about this in an interview with The Dallas Morning News. Prescott explained that he opted to go by Dak after he was teased about the name Rayne throughout his childhood.
“When I started off school, they would always call me Rayne [RAINY] or Rayne [RYE-KNEE] or something — they’d (be) like, ‘This is a girl’s name,’ so I just always went by Dakota,” Prescott explained. “But I was given Dak by birth, so my family’s always called me Dak.”
Now, as an adult, Prescott doesn’t mind the name Rayne.
“Nah, I’m good with Rayne. I love Rayne now. I’ve grown into it. I’ve grown to like it,” he said. “I might go just by Rayne Dakota one day, skip the last name.”
Prescott gave that interview just a few days after his 23rd birthday and before he experienced any success in the NFL. Now, at 31 years old, everyone knows the name Dak, so it might be tougher for him to make a change these days.
After all, Prescott has become a three-time Pro Bowler, All-Pro, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, NFL passing touchdowns leader, and the highest-paid player in NFL history under the moniker Dak.