Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is well known for his tattoos. But it wasn’t until an interview three years ago that the Dallas Cowboys quarterback really discussed, in depth, the meaning behind some of those tattoos.

He stated that his favorite tattoos are those dedicated to his mother, who died of colon cancer while he was attending Mississippi State University. Prescott said the quote – “allow me to be your story” – is what she said to him when she revealed her diagnosis.

The Cowboys QB revealed that underneath the quote is his mother’s signature that he got from a letter of hers.

“Probably my favorite ones [tattoos] are the couple for my mom. One of my tattoos is in quotes, and it looks like handwriting, it says ‘allow me to be your story,’ which is the words that my mom gave to me when she told me she was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer,” Prescott told ESPN in an interview.

“And I have it signed underneath with her actual signature taken from a letter she wrote to my grandfather. So that’s definitely, probably, one of the most special.”

Dak Prescott mentioned another tattoo that means a lot to him. It is the lion that he has on his chest. His mother drew that lion for him when she went to visit him in college and after she drew it, he immediately went to the tattoo shop and had it done.

“For my left shoulder, I have a lion that says ‘pride’ above it. And it’s a cartoon lion that my mom actually drew. So, not knowing our last Easter together, my mom drives eight hours or so, to just to see me while I was at school at Mississippi State,” Prescott added.

“She doesn’t know what. I say hey, draw that line for me on a piece of paper. Saturday night before Easter. Me and her head over to the tattoo shop, guy puts it on me, just traces the exact lion that she drew, then wrote ‘pride’ above it because I’m her pride. She’s my pride.”

Dak Prescott then went on to reveal other tattoos, including his very first, which happen to be his brother’s initials.

There is another tattoo which was custom made for him. It’s the NFL logo, but instead of having the letters of the league’s initials, it’s the number 135. This happens to be Prescott’s draft selection by the Dallas Cowboys. It serves as a reminder that 134 other players were drafted before him.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott revealed to ESPN that he has his mom’s quote tattooed on his arm. However, in another interview, with Graham Bensinger, he talked about his mom’s diagnosis, passing, and how it affected him.

After telling Prescott and his brothers about being diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer, she told her sons to be inspired by her battle with the disease. She told the NFL quarterback that every great athlete has a ‘story’, and that she wanted to make her difficult situation a positive for her sons.

Dak Prescott’s mother wanted him and his brothers to become stronger through her battle with cancer.

“She wanted us to, to live our lives, and she wanted us to not necessarily worry about her. And then her initial deal was, ‘Well, allow me to be your story’. All greats have a story and, at the time, I’m like ‘I don’t want a story’. But that’s just how she thought about everything. She took the positive out of anything. ‘Hey, I’m sick, but you’re gonna go be great because you’re going to allow this to make you stronger and make you tougher.

The Cowboys star further elaborated on his tough experience.

“I remember when she lost her hair, we all cut our hair off too, as well with her. But she didn’t show physically just because she didn’t have any hair. She would never show the pain inside that she was feeling. But she was honest. And one time, she texted and she was like, ‘I wish I just didn’t hurt for one day’. So that’s something that I keep in the back of my mind and in my heart because there’s not anything I can go through personally, that I think is bigger than that or would hurt more than my mom hurting.”

This is a poignant reminder that as important as sports is, it is nothing compared to the loved ones a person has. Dak Prescott has been through a tough time, and he is honoring his mother’s wish to use that experience to toughen himself.