Dak Prescott Fined For Comments Inciting Violence Against NFL Referees

Prescott thought the fans were throwing debris at Cowboys players at first, calling it a 'sad' behavior:

“No, I didn’t see that. It’s sad. You’re talking about a team, you’re talking about men coming out each and every day of their lives and give everything to this sport, give everything to this game of football," Prescott said, per FanSided.

"Nobody wants to succeed more than we want to succeed," Prescott added. "I understand fans and the word ‘fan’ for fanatic, I get that. But to know everything that we put into this, day in and day out, try our hardest, nobody comes into the game wanting or expecting to lose, and for people to react that way when you’re supposed to be a supporter and be with us through thick and thin, that’s tough.”

"Credit to them then. Credit to them," the Cowboys star said.

Most people in the room couldn't believe what he just had said, so they asked him again. Instead of backing down, he reaffirmed his support for the fans' behavior:

"If the fans felt the same way as us and that’s what they were doing it for, yeah, I’m guessing that’s why the refs took off and got out of there so fast," Prescott said. "Yeah, I think everybody is upset with the way that this thing played out. I’m sure a fan would feel the same way that we do."

It took him a couple of days but Prescott eventually realized how wrong and out of place his comments were, so he took to social media to issue a formal apology.

"I deeply regret the comments I made regarding the officials after the game on Sunday," Prescott wrote on Twitter. "I was caught up in the emotion of a disappointing loss and my words were uncalled for and unfair."

"I hold the NFL Officials in the highest regard and have always respected their professionalism and the difficulty of their jobs," Prescott added on a follow-up tweet. "The safety of everyone who attends a game or participates on the field of a sporting event is a very serious matter. That was a mistake on my behalf, and I am sorry."

At the end of the day, Dak Prescott has never been that kind of guy. He got caught up in the heat of the moment, but he's always been an advocate for mental health and reaching out to the least favored.

Prescott is even a finalist for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year award and is known around the league for his positive leadership.

He'll have to pay his dues, both literally and figuratively. Hopefully, he'll grow from this experience.