Ezekiel Elliott's impact for Cowboys goes beyond yards and TDs
FRISCO, Texas — “Hold on a minute,” Ezekiel Elliott says, greeting his visitor in an empty Dallas Cowboys locker room last week. “Gotta make a quick stop.”
The rookie running back makes a beeline for Dak Prescott’s locker. Candy raid. Elliott pulls down a bag from an overhead compartment, grabs a fistful of snacks and carefully returns the stash.
Now he’s ready to talk.
Elliott and his new close friend, Prescott, have had NFL debuts like kids in a candy store. Both were just named Pro Bowlers. With one more win, Prescott can match Ben Roethlisberger’s record for victories by a rookie quarterback. Elliott, headed for the rushing crown with 1,551 yards, is threatening Eric Dickerson's rookie mark (1,808 yards in 1983).
“At this level, if you don’t expect to be the best, there’s no point in even being here,” Elliott told Paste BN Sports. “You’re wasting your time, your teammates’ time, (even) the people you’re playing against. That’s just the mentality I have.”
It was rather stunning that as Elliott spoke, he proudly wore face paint — a heap of black and white artistry that transformed his look into something rather menacing. Elliott, 21, and some other players were made up for a comedy sketch that the team’s social media department produced, themed around WWE legend Sting being “hired” as the Cowboys’ new “intimidation coach.”
Guess this is what some high-profile franchises are prone to do when they are rolling along with a share of the NFL’s best record (12-2), infused with youthful exuberance.
“Kind of a different look,” Elliott, appearing he could join the rock group KISS, says with a grin.
“I’ve heard of them,” he says. “But I don’t know any of their songs.”
The levity is a far cry from a serious issue that lingers for Elliott. The league is investigating Elliott under its domestic violence policy, stemming from allegations by a woman in two incidents in Columbus, Ohio, and Aventura, Fla. Elliott wasn’t arrested and, in both cases, authorities opted not to pursue charges.
He won’t comment on the matter, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has said that he believes the NFL’s continued investigation is unfair. The league was embarrassed by the case of former New York Giants kicker Josh Brown, and Elliott may be receiving more scrutiny as a result. The investigation seemingly poses the biggest threat to slowing the momentum of a phenomenal season that makes Elliott the frontrunner for offensive rookie of the year honors.
“It’s always great to get accolades, but winning a Super Bowl ring means way more to me,” he said.
Elliott rushed for a season-high 159 yards in Sunday's win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He made more noise by hopping inside a huge Salvation Army kettle to celebrate a touchdown. The stunt, on national TV, spiked a $182,000 rise in donations over a 12-hour period when compared to the previous week, according to a spokesman for the charity.
The episode underscored what the Cowboys get from Elliott on top of speed, power and production: Swagger. That’s surely been seen before — hello, Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders — in these parts. But being a character means nothing if you’re not balling.
There’s clearly a yin and yang factor, though, when Elliott’s showmanship is juxtaposed with Prescott, a cerebral type who is burnishing a reputation as cool and unflappable. You’d never see Prescott hop into a kettle.
Yet the duo shares a fresh vibe that feels like a generation shift for a franchise that has for so long revolved around Tony Romo. Veterans insist that this has been accepted because, in addition to the production, the rookies are passionate about the game and have demonstrated that they know when and how to work. One of Elliott’s rituals, for example, has been to park himself next to tackle Doug Free on the team plane, where they break down film and the rookie gains a better understanding of blocking schemes.
“This is a hard league,” 14th-year tight end Jason Witten told Paste BN Sports. “When you have some success, you’ve got to understand what that formula looks like and realize this is a great opportunity. When you have it, you’ve got to pounce on it.”
Elliott knows, even admitting he have hit a wall recently.
“Weeks 9 and 10, those weeks went by really slow,” said the man who's absorbed a league-high 310 carries.
Still, he professes not to sweat it.
“I was beat up more in my past two college seasons than I feel right now,” he says.
He clearly senses what’s at stake for a franchise 21 years removed from its last Super Bowl.
“I understand,” he said. “Being a rookie and already getting a spot in the playoffs is special. We’ve got guys in this locker room who have never played in the playoffs. But I don’t think I’ll cherish this enough until I have like an 8-8 season.”
Wisdom beyond his years.
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Follow NFL columnist Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell
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