The Dallas Cowboys held their inaugural Season Kickoff event at the Ford Center in Frisco on Thursday night.

All members of the Dallas Cowboys organization, from owner Jerry Jones to head coach Mike McCarthy to quarterback Dak Prescott, strutted down a blue carpet with their significant others and smiled at fans and photographers.

The event, presented by the Cowboys’ official cryptocurrency partner, Blockchain.com, featured awards and presentations from Dallas Cowboys players and past legends.

The show began in fashion as the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders welcomed the crowd with a grand opening routine before a 50-yard videoboard lifted to reveal the entire 2022 Cowboys roster. 

The event’s host, Cowboys legend Michael Irvin, led the crowd through a night of interviews, highlight videos, and jokes. Aside from Irvin’s banter, the event was fueled by the actual awards ceremony.

Micah Parsons won the “Playmaker Award,” awarded to the Cowboys player who had the most standout season on the field in 2021. Parsons dominated as a rookie last season, unanimously winning the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award and earning first-team All-Pro honors.

The Breakthrough Award went to Trevon Diggs, who had a franchise-record tying 11 interceptions in 2021, in his second season in the NFL. The award was presented by Everson Walls, who shares the record he set in 1981 with Diggs. 

Dak Prescott took home the “Beyond the Gridiron Award” for his off-the-field work in the community. Prescott was the Dallas Cowboys nominee for the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. 

His Faith, Fight, Finish Foundation raises money for those facing cancer or other life-altering situations. Prescott has also advocated for mental health awareness and social justice.

It was a night to enjoy each other’s company and hand out some team awards ahead of the 2022 season, and it came at a time when the team needed all the positive vibes they could get.

Twenty-four hours before the event, Dallas Cowboys All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith suffered an avulsion fracture during Wednesday night’s practice, which will cause him to miss the majority of the regular season.

“Very unfortunate,” Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott told reporters on the blue carpet. “Sad for Tyron. Sad for the team. Sad for the time we’re going to miss him.”

The Dallas Cowboys may turn to first-round rookie and Fort Worth native Tyler Smith to fill in for Smith. Prescott knows what it is like to be forced into a starting role as a rookie to replace an injured veteran.

“Seven years ago to this day, something big happened [, Tony Romo was injured,] and I was able to step in,” Prescott recalled. “Just got to be positive about everything. You’ve got to move forward in that sense and that manner. Control the things that you can control and for us that’s get the next man up ready to play.”

The Dallas Cowboys will kick off the regular season at home against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, September 11, on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. 

Author