Former Cowboys’ quarterback Danny White was in Fort Worth on Monday night as part of the presentation of the annual Davey O’Brien Award.
The award is presented to the best quarterback in college football.
This year it went to Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU.
White was on hand to receive the Davey O’Brien Legends Award.
He was asked what advice he would have to give current Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott in light of the recent playoff loss to Green Bay.
Danny White’s Resume
White has a Super Bowl ring from the Cowboys’ 1977 Super Bowl XII win over Denver.
However, he was the punter for Dallas that year. Although, he did throw two passes – a single five-yard reception – and added a 13-yard run in the Super Bowl.
White spent his first four years in the league as the punter and back-up to Staubach.
He took over as the starting quarterback in the 1980 season after Roger Staubach retired.
Over his first four years as the starting quarterback, he went 12-4, 11-4, 6-3 (1982 strike season), and 12-4.
During that four-year run, White led Dallas to three straight NFC Championship games – but never won one.
In the fourth year, 1983, the Cowboys lost in the wild-card round.
Two years later, White led the Cowboys to a 10-6 mark but lost in the Divisional round.
He never got the team back to the playoffs again. He lost the starting job for good in 1988 and retired at the end of the season.
White understands the pressure that comes with being the starting quarterback in Dallas.
He also understands the heat coming Prescott’s way from every quarter – the front office, his coaches, his teammates, the media, and the fans.
White’s Advice
“Just keep doing what you’re doing,” White replied when asked at Monday’s ceremony about what he’d say to Prescott.
White added that Prescott has to be questioning himself after yet another early playoff loss because everyone else is questioning him.
White also cautioned against changing too much, especially following what was arguably Prescott’s best regular season in his eight-year career.
“He’s doing all the right things,” White said.
“Keep doing it. Endure to the end.”
At about the 2:25 mark of the interview – posted on YouTube by FanaticView.com and which you can see in full here – White added this observation about Prescott.
“Dak is doing everything well enough to win a Super Bowl,” White said. “I think everyone else around him, you can’t say this.”
He added that if everyone else on the team elevates their game this upcoming season “they will win the Super Bowl.”
Is White Right?
White played for Tom Landry and he was a championship-winning coach in his own right.
So he knows how to judge players and teams.
He never did get the Cowboys to a Super Bowl as a starting quarterback. But he at least got the team deeper into the playoffs in his first four years as a starter than Prescott has in eight seasons.
And he was a fumble – his own at that – away from getting to Super Bowl XVI at the end of the 1981 season.
So he probably feels more empathy for Prescott’s current situation than most others.
And he probably knows too well the frustration Prescott is feeling.
In the 1980 conference title game against the Eagles, he had an interception and two fumbles.
He did the same the next year against the 49ers.
In the 1982 title game loss to the Redskins, he was knocked out of the game after 15 pass attempts.
But again, he got his team to multiple conference title games at least and finished with a 5-5 playoff record.
Prescott is shackled to a 2-5 playoff record that includes three losses in the Divisional round without a win.
For White, his eighth season as a starter came in his 12th year in the league and his numbers began to fade in those final years.
Prescott has been a starter all of his eight years.
In one aspect White is right.
Prescott needs to keep doing exactly what he did in 2023.
Take care of the ball, get better separation from his receivers, and protection from his line.
But where White isn’t quite right is Prescott can’t keep doing what he’s been doing in the playoffs.
Namely, the same costly turnovers in the Divisional round that plagued White in his NFC title games.
White seems to think Prescott can do it.
We’ll find out if he’s right in about 11 months.