Haley compares Dak Prescott to Joe Montana
Hall of Famer Charles Haley sees a little bit of Joe Montana in Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
Haley had a front-row seat to much of Montana's storied career, winning two Super Bowls alongside the legendary signal-caller in his first stint with the San Francisco 49ers from 1986 to 1991.
The former defensive end and linebacker then left for the Cowboys, where he won a further three titles, and says Dallas has a player on their hands in Prescott who possesses the same self-assurance on the field as three-time Super Bowl MVP Montana.
"Dak reminds me of Joe," Haley told NBC 5 of Dallas-Fort Worth. "He has so much confidence. He came from nothing, like me. So guess what, what can you do?
"How can you hurt someone that came from nothing, that had to pull himself up from the bootstraps and walk out on the stage wearing that star on his head and go 10 or 12 games in a row? What can you say? What can you do?"
While Prescott's career is just getting started, Haley believes the ability he showed to thrive under pressure in his rookie year proves he is capable of being a successful leader now Tony Romo has transitioned to the broadcast booth after being usurped as starter.
"I tell him all the time, I say, 'Man, this is your show. This is your rodeo," Haley said. "I told him that after game four when he was saying it was Romo's show, I would punch him in his chest. 'Hey, hold up. You've won four in a row. OK. Then, you win five in a row.'
"Now I walk out on the field before the game and say, 'Who's team is this?' If he didn't say, 'My team' real fast, I'll punch him again. ... He's got to realise, he's got to control everybody.
"Whether Romo would have came back or not, it's about the confidence and believing that he was the man. That he was driving the bus. And then, that confidence will spill over. And it did. When you listen to players talk, they talk big about Dak, because he's a man of character and a man of strength and a man of conviction."
Prescott earned a Pro Bowl selection and Rookie of the Year honours in his inaugural NFL season after being selected by Dallas in the fourth round of the 2016 draft.
He threw for 3,667 yards and 23 touchdowns with a 104.9 passer rating while limiting himself to just four interceptions last year.