DALLAS — When the NFL announced Eduardo Flores as the International Fan of the Year earlier this year, the 24-year old from Mexico thought the highlight of the event would be the chance to announce a Day 3 draft pick of the Cowboys in the NFL Draft.
While he was able to do that – announcing the Cowboys' seventh-round pick for Nathan Thomas – the comment he made before the pick actually turned out to be life-changing moment.
As someone who had experienced tragedy and battled mental-health issues in his life, Flores thanked Dak Prescott for saving his life.
He credited Dak for his ability to open up about his own personal struggles with mental health in the past, stemming from losing both his mother and younger brother.
While Dak didn't hear the announcement live, his other brother, Tad was watching. He quickly alerted Dak how his story has saved lives even in other countries. And that's when the Cowboys quarterback went to work.
On Friday night, Flores was a special guest of Dak during his annual "Faith, Fight, Finish Foundation" Gala, held in Dallas.
"To get that from my brother, knowing that I made a commitment about another brother … Tad sent it to me saying, 'one life taken to save millions.' It's special. Blessed that he's here."
Flores and Prescott shared a moment before the gala, with several hugs as each of them thanked each other.
"The first thing I would say is 'thank you,'" Flores said to Dak in front of the cameras. "Thank you for everything. Thank you for inspiring me, for changing the world, for saving me. And I admire you in every aspect of your life."
An emotional Prescott responded with another hug. "God Bless You," Dak said.
Dak has experienced more than his share of grief, from the death of his mother in 2013 after she lost her battle with cancer, to 2020 when his brother Jace committed suicide.
Through it all, Prescott has never hid from the pain – instead embraced it and used it as the backbone for this Faith, Fight, Finish Foundation in an attempt to reach others going through their own kind of mental health issues.
Flores, obviously could relate. He became an avid Cowboys fan because of his father, who passed away in 2018. Flores, who lives in Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico, has now taken over some of the fan websites his father created to cover the Cowboys. Flores was recently named the International Fan of the Year by the NFL, allowing him the chance to make the Cowboys' pick. But he used the platform to honor Prescott, stating on the stage "I wouldn't be standing here without Dak Prescott."
And Dak said it's truly special for his message to spread like that, especially to someone who has experienced the same emotions.
"It just shows how important it is to speak out," Prescott said. "When you say something, believe in something and you mean something, if it reaches one person, it has done its job. Don't hesitate to speak from the heart. Me and my mission, is to make sure others don't experience and feel the pain that me and my family have gone through with my brother (Jace) personally. To be able to prevent that in different ways and to see that come firsthand live in the draft, letting the world know, is truly special."
