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Mort & Schefter's Week 1 notebook: How Dak, Brady are similar
Adam Schefter
and Chris Mortensen
In our first notebook of the season, we hit on how Dak Prescott spent his offseason, the true price it took for the Eagles to move up to No. 2 in April's draft, another potential gem for the Seahawks and more.
Dak Prescott isn't Tom Brady, but ...
Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott shares at least three or four traits with Tom Brady, in the eyes of renowned performance trainer Tom Shaw, who has worked with both in their post-collegiate days.
"I was up there [with the Patriots] when Brady just got out of [Michigan]," Shaw said. "He may not have had the same athletic and physical ability at the identical stage as Dak, but what Tom had was a work ethic and desire to get better that was undeniable. Dak has the exact same work ethic as Tom.
For a 30-day stretch, the Patriots QB won't take an NFL snap. But don't despair. Every day we'll give you a little bit of Tom Brady -- what he's up to, his career, his team, how we got to this point.
"It extends to every imaginable area. Dak wants to be the best. Tom wanted to be best and became the best. Everybody says they want to be the best, but is it really the most important thing in your life when you wake up in the morning and you're breathing? For Tom it was that way, and it is that way with Dak."
Prescott, a fourth-round pick who has been pushed into the starting role because of Tony Romo's injury, trained during the offseason with Shaw at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It was not just restricted to physical training. Ike Taylor (Steelers) and Abe Elam (Browns), two former NFL defensive backs known for their acumen, held intensive skull sessions with Prescott about understanding defensive coverages. Prescott also drove to see Jon Gruden to raise his level of understanding several notches.
"If Dak could've worked with Jon 25 times in 25 days, he would have done it," Shaw said. "Dak craves it. Those are not just words, and I have my own friends at the Cowboys who echo the exact same thing."
Shaw says his best friend is Cowboys strength and conditioning coach Mike Woicik, who has six Super Bowl rings from his work with the Cowboys (1990-96) and Patriots (2000-10) before he returned to Dallas in 2011.
"Mike would tell you the exact same thing about the similarities between the way Tom Brady and Dak go about their work," Shaw said. "I'm not saying Dak will be the next Tom Brady. But he has the tools, he has the work ethic, he has the mind and he has the competitive desire."
Shaw also believes that Prescott's and Brady's similar post-draft mindset also sticks out.
"Dak has a chip on his shoulder because of where he was drafted, just like Tom," he said. "Tom has never forgotten it. Dak will never forget it."
Adam Schefter
and Chris Mortensen
In our first notebook of the season, we hit on how Dak Prescott spent his offseason, the true price it took for the Eagles to move up to No. 2 in April's draft, another potential gem for the Seahawks and more.
Dak Prescott isn't Tom Brady, but ...
Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott shares at least three or four traits with Tom Brady, in the eyes of renowned performance trainer Tom Shaw, who has worked with both in their post-collegiate days.
"I was up there [with the Patriots] when Brady just got out of [Michigan]," Shaw said. "He may not have had the same athletic and physical ability at the identical stage as Dak, but what Tom had was a work ethic and desire to get better that was undeniable. Dak has the exact same work ethic as Tom.
For a 30-day stretch, the Patriots QB won't take an NFL snap. But don't despair. Every day we'll give you a little bit of Tom Brady -- what he's up to, his career, his team, how we got to this point.
"It extends to every imaginable area. Dak wants to be the best. Tom wanted to be best and became the best. Everybody says they want to be the best, but is it really the most important thing in your life when you wake up in the morning and you're breathing? For Tom it was that way, and it is that way with Dak."
Prescott, a fourth-round pick who has been pushed into the starting role because of Tony Romo's injury, trained during the offseason with Shaw at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It was not just restricted to physical training. Ike Taylor (Steelers) and Abe Elam (Browns), two former NFL defensive backs known for their acumen, held intensive skull sessions with Prescott about understanding defensive coverages. Prescott also drove to see Jon Gruden to raise his level of understanding several notches.
"If Dak could've worked with Jon 25 times in 25 days, he would have done it," Shaw said. "Dak craves it. Those are not just words, and I have my own friends at the Cowboys who echo the exact same thing."
Shaw says his best friend is Cowboys strength and conditioning coach Mike Woicik, who has six Super Bowl rings from his work with the Cowboys (1990-96) and Patriots (2000-10) before he returned to Dallas in 2011.
"Mike would tell you the exact same thing about the similarities between the way Tom Brady and Dak go about their work," Shaw said. "I'm not saying Dak will be the next Tom Brady. But he has the tools, he has the work ethic, he has the mind and he has the competitive desire."
Shaw also believes that Prescott's and Brady's similar post-draft mindset also sticks out.
"Dak has a chip on his shoulder because of where he was drafted, just like Tom," he said. "Tom has never forgotten it. Dak will never forget it."
