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Tad and Dak Prescott respond to Skip Bayless' comments belittling QB's bout with depression

Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys looks on prior to taking on the Seattle Seahawks during their game at CenturyLink Field on September 23, 2018 in Seattle, Washington.  (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
Dak Prescott delivered a nuanced response to Skip Bayless. (Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

Dak Prescott revealed on Wednesday that he has struggled with depression.

On Thursday, he responded to a talking head who took him to task for his vulnerability.

The Dallas Cowboys quarterback made the revelation in an interview with Graham Bensinger released Wednesday as he and his brother, Tad, discussed their brother Jace’s death. Jace died by suicide in April.

Dak noted that Jace had a tendency to carry his burdens alone and encouraged others dealing with mental health problems to share their struggles with loved ones.

“Because our adversities, our struggles, what we go through is always gonna be too much for ourselves and maybe too much for even one or two people, but never too much for a community or too much for people in the family that you love. So you have to share these things,” Prescott said.

Prescott was widely applauded for his openness on mental health, an issue with a stigma that’s often magnified in sports.

Skip Bayless’ reckless take

And then there’s Skip Bayless. The FS1 talking head makes his living saying outrageous thing for the sake of being outrageous. On Thursday, he made light of mental illness and criticized Prescott for admitting his struggles while declaring depression unfit for an NFL quarterback.

He did this on World Suicide Prevention Day, amplifying his normal level of absurdity to a stance that’s dangerous and irresponsible. Bayless drew plenty of rightful backlash.

He also prompted a response from both of the Prescott brothers.

Dak, Tad respond to Bayless

Dak delivered a nuanced response continuing to advocate for mental health awareness and breaking down the stigma of discussing difficult issues.

“Being a leader is about being genuine and being real,” Prescott said in a statement released by the Cowboys’ official website. “As I said, if I wouldn’t have talked about those things to the people I did, I wouldn’t have realized my friends and a lot more people go through them.”

Tad’s response to Bayless was a little more blunt.

Fox Sports’ response

The outcry against Bayless’ reckless statement also prompted a response from his employer. Fox Sports supported Prescott and disavowed Bayless’ take. The network did not allude to any action against Bayless other than “addressing the significance of this matter with Skip.”

Anyone struggling with thoughts of suicide can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

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