who is Ezekiel Elliott?

 

Ezekiel Elliott

Ezekiel Elijah Elliott (born July 22 1995) nicknamed "Zeke", is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, earning second-team All-American honors in 2015. Elliott was selected by the Cowboys fourth overall in the 2016 NFL draft. In eight seasons in the NFL, he was a three-time Pro Bowl, two-time All-Pro selection, and led the league in rushing yards in 2016 and 2018.

Early life

Elliott was born in Alton, Illinois, to a mother and father who were both athletes in college. His mother the former Dawn Huff, was a high school state champion in three sports before attending the University of Missouri and running track there. His father, Stacy, was a linebacker for the Missouri football team and CEO of Fifth Down Enterprises. Elliott's maternal grandfather played basketball for Drake University.His uncle is Finnish professional basketball player Shawn Huff.

Despite his athletic pedigree, Elliott attended more academically driven John Burroughs School in Ladue, Missouri. where he was a three-sport star in football, basketball, and track and field. He also played baseball.He played as a running back for the John Burroughs Bombers football team. As a junior in 2012, he was named the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offensive player of the year after rushing for 1,802 yards and 34 touchdowns and receiving 23 passes for 401 yards and six scores. In his senior year, he had 3,061 all-purpose yards and 50 total touchdowns, including 2,155 rushing yards and 40 rushing touchdowns. He led the football team to three straight championship games, but lost all three.

Also a standout track and field athlete, Elliott was a state qualifier in sprinting and hurdling events. He capped his high school career by winning four state championships at the Missouri Class 3 state championships in 2+1⁄2 hours (100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 110-meter high hurdles and 300-meter hurdles.He recorded career-best times of 10.95 seconds in the 100-meter dash, 22.05 seconds in the 200-meter dash, 13.77 seconds in the 110m hurdles and 37.52 seconds in the 300m hurdles. He was named the Gatorade Track Athlete of the Year in the state of Missouri.

Considered a four-star recruit by Scout.com, Elliott was listed as the No. 9 running back in the nation in 2013. He played in the 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Despite overwhelming support and pressure for Elliott to sign with his parents' alma mater, the University of Missouri, he decided to sign with Ohio State University.

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