Ezekiel Elliott signed a six-year, $90 million contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday, and now he wants to give some of that money to a cause that’s close to him and the city.
“In my time here in Dallas, I've formed a really good relationship with the Salvation Army," Elliott said at his press conference, per TMZ Sports. "And I wanted to pledge $100,000 to help them build their new facility to help support the people of need in Dallas."
Zeke and the Salvation Army have a storied history together, which started with the Cowboys star running back jumping into an oversized kettle located in the back of the end zone during a game in 2016.
The Salvation Army told CNBC that Zeke’s celebration led to a 61 percent increase in donations to the Salvation Army, which amounted to over $180,000 in the first 24 hours.
Many of the donations totaled $21, an homage to the No. 21 worn by Elliott with the Cowboys. Given the positive spin that was created by his gesture, the NFL decided that he would not be fined for the over-the-top nature of his celebration.
Two years later, Elliott revisited the Salvation Army kettle on Thanksgiving. But instead of an encore performance, Zeke took a page from the people who donated after his previous stint, and tossed $21.
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