Tad Carper, the Dallas Cowboys’ senior vice president of communications, won his battle with Stage 2 throat cancer last fall. His victory is no fluke—it’s a testament to his strength and determination. At 63 years of age, Carper had surgery on October 15, 2024 to remove a tumor. After surgery, he underwent two months of radiation treatment and is currently in full remission. He has been told repeatedly by doctors that the chance of cancer recurring is remote.
Carper’s journey began when he received a cancer screening as part of the Dallas Cowboys’ annual physicals for assistant coaches. This preemptive move came at the urging of Dak Prescott, the franchise’s superstar quarterback, who shared a special relationship with Carper. In an intimate moment, Prescott shared with Carper the details of his recent cancer diagnosis. As a result, Carper was the first person to find out about Prescott’s health struggle.
Initially, Carper didn’t want to speak publicly about his cancer journey with anyone outside his tight-knit inner circle. Then he quickly understood the importance of educating people about early detection and screening. He attributes his life to Prescott and head coach Mike McCarthy for encouraging him to get screened.
The history between Carper and Prescott goes beyond the bonds of profession. They have a tight bond of friendship, with Carper often acting as a sounding board for Prescott. In an interview about their special bond, Prescott said that Carper has been his most important emotional support dog.
“He’s a hidden best friend. He’s my ‘No’ guy. He takes the stress and pressure away from me,” – Dak Prescott.
Remembering his own experience, Carper said that on the day that he found out he had tested positive, it was almost like in a dream.
“The rest of the day after that call was a bit surreal,” – Tad Carper.
He credited Prescott with being the reason for his diagnosis. He showed profound appreciation to their buddies, which resulted in his early discovery.
“I think you just saved my life,” – Tad Carper.
The screening process wasn’t meant for Carper from the start, as he was never a coach in the NFL’s coaching pipeline. But Prescott, knowing how close of a friendship the two shared, encouraged Carper to get tested as well.
“The crazy part about it is Tad, not being a coach, that wasn’t the initial party that was being tested. And — just being good — very good friends, and him always taking care of me, I said, ‘Why not get Tad testing?’ And sure enough, he was the one that — that showed up positive,” – Dak Prescott.
Following his diagnosis Carper had to deal with finding a way to get treatment while still maintaining his work and career. He had the tumor surgically removed, followed by a course of radiation therapy. During this time, he was constantly driving toward recovering and being there to support his family—especially his then-fiancé, now wife, Ann.
Carper is just grateful for the timely intervention and to be fully in remission now. Interspersed with these great insights, exchanged by his wonderful medical team, he shared these pearls of wisdom. Had he waited longer to seek treatment or been diagnosed later, his story may have ended very differently.
“My doctors told me if it was two months later, we’d be having a much different conversation and result,” – Tad Carper.
This unexpected journey has strengthened Carper’s perspective on living life to the fullest. At the same time, it’s brought new attention to the importance of regular screenings and early cancer detection. He hopes to inspire others to take their health seriously and to encourage their loved ones to do the same.
Leave a Reply