Jan 5, 2019; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) reacts after a run against the Seattle Seahawks in the second quarter in a NFC Wild Card playoff football game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shane Roper-USA TODAY Sports
Finally, Ezekiel Elliott is under contract with the Dallas Cowboys, allowing many a fantasy manager who took a chance on Elliott—and likely snagged him at a bargain price—to take a deep breath. On Wednesday, Elliott reportedly agreed to a six-year, $90 million extension with America’s Team, following a prolonged bargaining battle.
The raise was well deserved. Elliott was still playing on his four-year, $25 million rookie deal, which was set to expire after the 2020 season, but his play through his first three seasons had given him some leverage to request more bread from owner Jerry Jones. The 24-year-old running back had amassed 4,048 rushing yards, 135 catches for 1,199 yards, and a total of 34 touchdowns during his three seasons since being selected fourth in the 2016 draft.
The Cowboys are taking a deep breath, too. With arguably the best offensive weapon in the NFL back in the fold, joining Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper to form a three-headed monster, they now have a much better shot at playing deep into the winter months. Hopes are high for the Cowboys this season; Vegas favors Dallas as one of the strongest contenders in the NFC.
During his impressive three-year NFL career and sustained holdout, much has been written about Ezekiel Ellott—but here are some things you may not know about him.
During his 14-year NFL career, the journeyman Frerotte played for eight NFL teams. He racked up more than 20,000 career passing yards and 114 career touchdowns and even made the Pro Bowl in 1996. Frerotte took over as John Burroughs School (St. Louis, Missouri) head coach in 2011, and led his teams to runner-up finishes in the state title game in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Zeke was the star back as a sophomore, junior and senior on those squads.
His high school career ended with heartbreak
Elliott was unstoppable on the high school gridiron. As a senior, he racked up 3,061 all-purpose yards and 50 touchdowns. Despite joining Frerotte to lead his team to three straight state title games, they never came out on the right side. It was crushing for Zeke. “You put in so many hours with your boys, your brothers, all season for the past four years, and you aren't able to accomplish what you wanted to,” Elliott told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “So it hurts a lot. But you have to be strong. I have to be strong for my boys back in the locker room. I can't be moping around. I have to show them that it's not over, it's not over. I believe in them. I believe they can come back next year. They are going to win a state championship.”
It’s probably unsurprising that Zeke was a multi-sport beast during his high school years. In addition to his prolific high school football career, he was also an exceptional track and field athlete. He won four Missouri Class 3 state championships and was named Missouri's Gatorade Track Athlete of the Year. He also played baseball and was a dynamic guard on the hardwood. You want to try keeping this guy in front of you?
Zeke apparently has moves that extend beyond the “eating cereal” hand motion. That much was clear when he participated in a choreographed dance with fellow members of the Ohio State football team during a break in an OSU basketball game in March 2015. Look for No. 15 busting his moves in the video below. Apparently, Zeke wasn’t thrilled with the feedback he received following the dance.
Kosta Karageorge was a wrestler and walk-on defensive lineman at Ohio State. In November 2014, he was reported missing by his mother after he had exhibited troubling behavior following a concussion. Karageorge was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Elliott was a pallbearer at the funeral.
He once called out Urban Meyer after a loss
Before Urban Meyer’s move within the athletic department at Ohio State (he’s now assistant athletic director), he was one of the most celebrated coaches in college football. He won numerous big-time coaching awards and three national titles, including one with Elliott (who was a sophomore) in 2014. But that didn’t stop Zeke from brashly stating his perspective when he thought Meyer had fallen short in a loss to Michigan State, with the back saying postgame that he was “disappointed” in the playcalling. The next game, Meyer fed Zeke over and over again, giving him 30 carries (cereal motion). Elliott rushed for 214 yards and two touchdowns to lead OSU to a blowout win over rival Michigan.
He got an epic tattoo after winning a national title
Elliott didn’t start as a freshman, taking a backseat while Carlos Hyde finished out his college career. But Zeke took off as a sophomore, carrying Ohio State to Big Ten titles and national championships (he was named Offensive MVP of the College Football Playoff title game). Following the big win over Marcus Mariota and Oregon, he celebrated in appropriate fashion—by getting a big ol’ tattoo representing his institution of higher education and the championship trophy.
Someone once stole his dog
Can you believe that? Someone once stole Ezekiel Elliott’s dog! Chase, who was 1-year-old, went missing after a thief cut through a fence and stole him from Elliott’s yard in Columbus in 2015. OSU fans circulated a photo of Chase on Twitter to help Zeke and his family out. Two days later, the dog was found chained to a fence. The Elliott family decided not to press charges.
He’s never been fond of shirts
You’re probably aware of Zeke’s affinity for showing off his midsection, which was made famous when he started rolling his jersey under his pads at Ohio State. But did you know Zeke tried to avoid wearing shirts even while in class in high school? It's true: the man hates shirts! According to this Dallas SportsDay feature from 2016, Elliott as a senior once walked into history class wearing a blazer with no shirt underneath, then tried to take off the blazer. That led to a funny conversation with one of his assistant coaches. “I had to tell him, ‘Ezekiel, you have to wear a shirt to class,’” recalled John Merritt.
He once got roasted by President Obama
...and, of course, it was related to Elliott’s tendency to show off his six-pack. After winning the 2014 national title, the Buckeyes made the traditional White House visit. During his remarks, Obama served up a hilarious crack about Elliott. “In addition to rushing for over 1,800 yards behind an extraordinary offensive line—as good as we’ve seen in a very long time—and earning the championship game MVP, Ezekiel Elliott made the NCAA fashion police take a close look at their midriff policies,” Obama said. “Where’s Zeke? Thanks for tucking in your shirt today. We appreciate that.”
He was slept on in the recruiting process
Zeke was a four-star recruit, so he wasn't exactly a total unknown entering college, but he was only the No. 9 back in the nation in his class of 2013. He was ranked behind Derrick Henry and a bunch of RBs who never made the pros. Some of the top overall names from that class that you might recognize: Laquon Treadwell, Jalen Ramsey, Laremy Tunsil, and O.J. Howard. Elliott’s parents wanted him to sign with Missouri, but he chose Ohio State. His folks had good reason to be pulling for the Tigers, though...
His family is full of athletes
Talk about high-quality genes. Elliott's mom was a high school state champ in three sports and ran track at Mizzou. His dad was a linebacker on the Tigers football team. Elliott has athletic lineage further back in his family tree, too—his grandpa played basketball for Drake University and then played pro ball internationally. This guy was born and bred to star on Sundays, and he’ll be doing that in Big D for years to come.
