Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Takes ‘Sh*t Talk’ to Another Level in Latest ‘Lead From Behind’ PSA

As NFL fans gear up for Sunday’s hotly anticipated round 2 matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles, Cowboys’ QB Dak Prescott has teamed up with Maximum Effort and the Colorectal Cancer Alliance’s “Lead From Behind” initiative to dole out some pregame “Sh*t Talk” meant to motivate lifesaving measures. 

In the 84-second-long video, titled Talking Sh*t with Dak Prescott, the 30-year-old athlete—who is considered at risk for colon cancer after losing his mother to the disease—begins with a sincere, empathetic message to fans who have had some choice words about him in the past. 

“As a professional quarterback, I get a lot of sh*t,” he says earnestly into the camera, against a montage of fan grievances, one of whom angrily shouts, “You have more turnovers than a bake sale!”

The affable athlete continued, “And I get it … when you’re not a fan of something … sh*tting on it can make you feel good. But what if I told you that now … it can do some good too?” 

Prescott then goes on to encourage those 45 years or older to talk to their doctors about getting screened and then demonstrates the usage of Cologuard, an at-home screening kit—incentivizing the audience to place stickers of things “they want to sh*t on” to make the process easier and more enjoyable. 

To the hilarious delight of Dallas fans and the chagrin, horror and potential ire of Miami, San Francisco, Cleveland and Philadelphia fans, Prescott’s choice of stickers sets the tone for some brutal burns. 

“Not a fan of marine life?” he says as a dolphin sticker flashes across the screen. “Slap it on!” 

He then adds, “It works on anything … from colors … to large American predatory birds,” reserving his final swipes for the Browns and Eagles, the 2023 NFC championship team (and the other half of this year’s Super Bowl, aka “Kelce Bowl”), before concluding his tutorial. 

“It’s that easy to get screening for colon cancer, and make your feelings abundantly clear,” he deadpans. 

Reynolds then chimes in with a reliably comedic voice-over praising Prescott for doing the PSA despite not being the target age or the “average risk” demo for the screening kit. 

“…He’s so committed to preventing people from getting colon cancer that he agreed to star in this video that we wrote for him without any concern for his safety,” Reynolds says as stickers referencing the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions are revealed as the kit revolves, before stopping on a final image of Reynolds as the smiling, disfigured Deadpool. 

The video is the third from Maximum Effort and The Colorectal Cancer Alliance, but the shortest in length. The previous two, the first starring Reynolds and his Wrexham Football Club partner, Rob McElhenney, and another featuring actor and former footballer Terry Crews in character as Idiocracy President Camacho, followed each as they filmed their colonoscopies. 

“Losing my mother to colon cancer was devastating, and no one should have to go through that,” said Prescott in a statement. “That’s why I started the colon cancer screening and research pillar of my Faith Fight Finish Foundation. Partnering with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance and Lead from Behind is another way I can let people, especially Black Americans who are at greater risk, know that colon cancer is preventable and there are a variety of screening options.” 

Touching down on a touchy subject

With the NFL season attracting a sizeable audience, having the quarterback from one of the league’s most popular and influential teams, who happens to be intimately connected to the cause, is a cunning move to raise awareness of the dangers of colorectal cancer and how preventable it is, with a 90% survival rate with early detection and treatment. 

“I’d like to thank Dak for joining Rob McElhenney, Terry Crews and me in helping raise awareness for dropping your drawers,” Reynolds, Maximum Effort’s co-founder, said in a statement. “This is a highly preventable cancer and the more we advocate for and destigmatize the colorectal screening process, the more real lives are saved.”

While the Lead from Behind initiative has brought some appreciated humor to an issue that is no laughing matter and has raised significant awareness due to “the Reynolds Effect,” there remains a disparity in care among people of color, who are most at risk for the disease. 

“Our research shows that screening access varies greatly among Black and medically underserved populations, which directly impacts the risk of colorectal cancer,” said Kevin Conroy, chairman and CEO of Exact Sciences, in the statement. “We applaud the Colorectal Cancer Alliance for creating a Health Equity Fund and are committed to assisting its efforts to make screening accessible for all.” 

The Alliance hopes videos like these continue to make an impact until there’s no longer a need for them.

“The mission of the Alliance is to end colorectal cancer in our lifetime,” said Michael Sapienza, CEO of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. “By raising awareness for screening options and prevention through Lead From Behind and decreasing disparities through the Health Equity Fund, we are making significant strides in achieving that mission.”