Dak Prescott Says 'Football Has Always Been Peace for Me' as Cowboys Start Season with 40-0 Win (Exclusive)

The Dallas Cowboys quarterback tells PEOPLE, "I don't take anything for granted and I'm just ready to get out there and count some more wins"

Playing in the NFL is full of crashing hits, screaming teammates and cheering fans, but Dak Prescott says he finds his zen on the football field.

"Football has always been peace for me," the 30-year-old quarterback tells PEOPLE. "It's always been my safe haven, I guess you could say."

Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys squashed the New York Giants with a 40-0 shutout on Sunday, and the quarterback says he's excited to be "getting back into the routine and competing with the guys" as the NFL season kicks off.

"It's a blessing to do what I love at the highest level, so I don't take anything for granted, and I'm just ready to get out there and count some more wins," says Prescott.

The Louisiana native says it's important to him to be "genuine and authentic" with his fans and "encourage everybody that they can do whatever it is they're striving to do."

Related: Dak Prescott Is Ready for His Own Reality Show After Working with 'Real Housewives' Stars: 'It'd Be Fun'

"I want people to understand that I'm an everyday guy, just as they are, that set a goal, and it was to be in the NFL. And I worked my butt off each and every day to get into the position that I am," Prescott tells PEOPLE.

The quarterback says his keys to hard work include "leaving nothing to chance, trying to get better each and every day and surrounding yourself with good people who are loving and supportive."

Prescott adds, "So I try to offer myself to be exactly that, just supporting those fans and being authentic and trying to have just an everyday conversation with them."

Another way the Cowboys star stays mindful is by creating strong relationships with his teammates, like Micah Parsons, who Prescott has joined on Lowe's Home Team to inspire football fans to tackle a home improvement project this NFL season.

"Micah's awesome. He's a great player, obviously that, but a great person as well, and a guy that's always trying to learn and always trying to improve, which is fitting for him to be a part of the Home Team," says Prescott.

"Micah's only going to get better. He's such a young player with a big future and a big career ahead of him. He's special to this team, and he's a special guy."

Related: Micah Parsons Says He 'Learned a Lot' from Watching Patrick Mahomes on 'Quarterback' (Exclusive)

Through their partnership with Lowe's, Prescott and Parsons are encouraging fans to take advantage of the DIY Wrist Coach, which will hold “play” cards that give step-by-step instructions for five common home improvement projects.

When he's not on the field, Prescott says he finds peace at home. "My bathroom is like a spa to me. It's kind of my getaway," he shares.

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After Dallas's epic first week of the season, Prescott still knows that improvement never stops.

"To me, improvement means every day I'm trying to get better and that doesn't just start and end on the football field," he says. "It's in my everyday life and it's who I am, whether it's being a brother, a friend, a leader, a teammate, whatever. It's making sure that I get one percent better every day. That's ultimately what's going to lead me to being my best."

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