FRISCO, Texas _ Dak Prescott was honest not only with himself but with the people around him. The Cowboys quarterback was going through a state of depression and needed help.
He sought the counsel of Chad Bohling, the New York Yankees director of mental conditioning, who advises numerous sports teams and individuals.
Prescott's revelation of depression came through a conference call with reporters on Thursday afternoon wanting to know how he dealt with a difficult summer away from the football field.
"For sure, I realized it," Prescott said on needing counseling. "When you have thoughts that you've never had, I think that's, more so than anything, a chance to realize it and recognize it, to be vulnerable about it. Talked to my family, talked to the people around me simply as I did at the time. Some of them obviously had dealt with it before. Was able to have those conversations and then reach out further just to more people. I think being open about it and not holding those feelings in was one of the better things for me."
Prescott is a lively person who cherishes family and friends being around him. He attended a Stars game last year with Ezekiel Elliott and other teammates. He goes on fishing trips with his teammates and there's a video on social media of La'el Collins pouring a cup of water on Prescott's head as he's sleeping on a plane. The two men tease each other in the locker room. When Collins and Prescott were seeking new contracts, the right tackle joked he needed a loan from the quarterback.
But the coronavirus pandemic kept mostly everyone at home waiting for things to improve.
Prescott was among them and it pushed him into a mindset he didn't believe was possible.
"For sure it was," he said. "As it was for I'm sure the majority of the world. I'm a people person. I'm somebody that likes to be around people. I like to inspire. I like to put a smile on people's faces, day in and day out. And I like to lead. When that's taken away from you simply because you're forced to quarantine and not be around people and get around people as much as you would like to, yeah, it's tough. As I explained, it creates new emotions. Emotions that I've never felt before but obviously dealt with."
Prescott lost his brother, Jace, to suicide in April and the feelings of another loved one perishing struck. Prescott's mother, Peggy died of colon cancer in 2013 when he was at Mississippi State.
It was a helpless feeling, one that nobody can solve in its immediacy, if at all. The impact of being home because of the pandemic and losing a brother suddenly was a tremendous burden on Prescott's mental health.
When Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers talked about being in a dark place as he struggled with his shot during the first round of the Western Conference playoffs against the Mavericks, some players understood.
George was also criticized for his honesty.
"There is absolutely still a stigma with mental health," said Dallas-based sports mental health coach Drew Morgan. "I think you see it more and more with NBA players speaking out about it. Paul George more recently, which is great. They are humans just like we're humans. They have the same issues we're facing, depression and anxiety are prevalent more than people would probably think."
The isolation from family and friends, the struggles of a game you've been blessed to play, takes a toll. George was admitting he's human. Prescott in a similar way was doing it too. It makes Prescott a better leader, someone people are willing to follow.
If Prescott tried to hide the pain of his summer, would he come off as a tough guy and a real leader to his team?
"No, I think that is a fake leader," he said. "Being a leader is about being genuine and being real. As I said if I wouldn't have talked about those things to the people I did I wouldn't have realized my friends and a lot more people go through them. And they are as common as they are. I don't think for one second, leaders or not, I don't care how big a person you are, if you are not mentally healthy and you are not thinking the right way then you are not going to be able to lead people the right way."
