OXNARD, Calif. -- Those who work at the Nike campus had to be wondering what was going on a few weeks ago.
On one of the fields at the Beaverton, Oregon, campus in mid-July, a group of 18 football players were running a real-life Dallas Cowboys practice, led by Dak Prescott.
"People probably had an idea who Dak was," tight end Jake Ferguson said, "but we've got helmets on half the time, so it's pretty hard to tell."
For about four hours a day over a three-day span, Prescott (one of the Jordan Brand ambassadors), his backups (Cooper Rush and Trey Lance) and a number of running backs, tight ends and receivers (not including CeeDee Lamb) ran through workouts that people are seeing now in Oxnard, California, at training camp.
"Some people got some nice lunch-break views watching us run around out there," Rush said.
Over the years, Prescott has used the days before training camp to get together with his fellow skill players for a retreat. In 2019, Prescott had a handful of them stay at the San Diego Fairmont Grand Del Mar -- the same venue that hosted LeBron James' wedding in 2013 -- to work out at a local high school.
Last year, the group went to Lake Oconee in Georgia. This year, it was Lake Oswego, near the home of Nike, as well as the home of wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
Prescott paid for the plane tickets for everybody in attendance. He and Cooks took care of everything else. Players stayed at Cooks' house, a house Prescott rented or a local hotel.
"It was a lot of great work, a lot of brotherhood," Prescott said. "Got to hang out on Lake Oswego. We had fun. I know we got better."
The football started at 8 a.m. and ended around noon. They went through scripted sessions, much like a normal practice, although without defenders. They ran routes, working on their timing with the quarterbacks. They then simulated a two-minute drill, moving up and down the field. After the on-field work, they went into the weight room for conditioning.
"In the past, [it was] just me, [so we could use only] five or six guys at a time," Prescott said. "But bringing the other two quarterbacks, that allowed us to bring everyone, pretty much. We got a lot of work in, a lot of volume, not for just myself, but for everyone. It was beneficial."
The benefits go beyond football.
For the second straight year, Prescott had O2X, a human performance group made up of ex-military personnel that helps deal with stress management and resiliency. O2X, short for "Optimize to the X", worked with the entire Cowboys roster during minicamp in June and spent time with them again in the first week of training camp.
The message has evolved the more they have been around the players.
"They teach me how to think as a player, how to think in critical situations, how to just get out there and ball," Ferguson said. "But it's also about knowing your guys. How do you respond? What do I think my role is? And then you get other people's input. It's really important."
Said Rush, "It's about getting 1% better every day and different techniques for what they do in the military to grow closer because, obviously, they have real life-or-death missions. That stuff matters. They try to translate that into our world and see what we can take from it."
The trip wasn't just about business.
They toured the Nike campus. Ferguson did some wakeboarding on Lake Oswego as the others just enjoyed the water. They shot some guns at a range. They had a cookout at Cooks' house and a nice catered dinner on their last night.
"Honestly the best part was the fellowship we had," wide receiver Jalen Tolbert said. "Just having fun and creating that brotherhood that we all speak about. It speaks dividends to us coming out here and being able to compete and knowing each other's 'whys.' That's a big part -- knowing B Cooks' why, and him knowing my why. Dak, obviously, and all the way through the whole offense.
"I think that fellowship that we created and we continue to grow on out there was big for us."
For Prescott, the trips build a bond that he believes makes a difference when adversity hits.
"I feel like I say each and every year [it was] the best yet," Prescott said. "It was this time."