An authentication company has accused Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott of using a machine to sign his autograph on memorabilia instead of signing by hand.
Beckett Grading Services, which grades and authenticates trading cards, said it will not verify Prescott’s signature in a recent card set, according to an ESPN report.
Steve Grad, Beckett’s principal authenticator, who rose to fame on the History channel series Pawn Stars, said his company examined five cards allegedly autographed by Prescott that were redeemed through vouchers included in Panini’s 2016 Prizm set, noticing conspicuous similarities in the signatures.
“They had a very machine-like feel,” Grad told ESPN. “You could see the starts and stops.”
Grad concluded the cards were signed by autopen, a machine used by politicians for decades to sign documents en masse. “I immediately knew they were autopen,” Grad added. “I’ve never heard of a modern athlete doing this.”
A message from the Guardian to Prescott’s agent, Jeff Guerreiro, was not immediately returned.
Prescott was chosen by Dallas in the fourth round of last year’s NFL draft as an understudy to Tony Romo, but was thrust into the starting role when the Cowboys’ longtime starter was injured in the preseason. He went on to lead the team to a 13-3 record and a division title, earning a Pro Bowl selection and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
The 23-year-old from Mississippi State is not the only NFC East quarterback to become entangled in fake-memorabilia allegations this offseason.
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning has been involved in an ongoing lawsuit with memorabilia purveyors Steiner Sports alleging that Manning and the team knowingly passed off phony game-worn uniforms as authentic.
- This article was amended on 5 July 2017 to reflect Prescott’s correct draft position. He was chosen with the 135th overall pick in the fourth round, not with the No4 overall pick.
