HOUSTON — Dak Prescott was named the Pepsi NFL Rookie of The Year Friday after leading the Cowboys to a 13-3 record and NFC East division championship in his first NFL season.
Prescott was thrust into action when Tony Romo suffered a back injury in a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. After being chosen by the Cowboys in the fourth round of April’s NFL Draft, Prescott passed for 3,667 yards with 23 touchdowns and four interceptions.
WATCH: Wentz’s first pass since season ended
The award is voted on by fans and Prescott beat out Eagles rookie quarterback Carson Wentz, teammate running back Ezekiel Elliott, Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones and Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa.
Wentz burst onto the scene leading the Eagles to a 3-0 start to the season despite being named the starting quarterback only eight days before opening week against the Cleveland Browns when Sam Bradford was traded.
By season’s end, Wentz completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 3,782 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
In addition to fan voters, Prescott left a lasting impression on Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman.
“He’s the most impressive quarterback I’ve ever been around,” Aikman said of Prescott during a media availability ahead of Super Bowl LI. “That’s not just because of what he did on the field, really, as soon as you meet him you can tell that there’s something about him that’s very different. He’s got a maturity about him and some depth to him that I just haven’t experienced from other young guys. His play spoke for itself.
“He’s such a great leader. It’s hard to do as a young player, especially with some of the guys on that team like Dez Bryant, Jason Witten and that offensive line … It’s not easy for a rookie to come in and be a leader of that team as a rookie, which he was able to do. I really think he has a connection with everyone in that locker room.”
Matt Lombardo may be reached at MDLombardo@yahoo.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattLombardo975.
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