Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has been a standout rusher since being selected in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Ohio State.
He first became well-known in high school, though, and his success on the field has not slowed down since.
RB Ezekiel Elliott in High School
Elliott played high school football at the John Burroughs School in St. Louis, Missouri. In his senior season, he totaled 3,061 all-purpose yards and had a whopping 50 touchdowns. The running back was also useful when deployed as a wide receiver.
The traits that have made Zeke famous in the NFL were evident when he was just a teenager. He has always been a difficult matchup for opposing defenses and does not appear to be any less of a threat than ever before.
He was one of the fastest available recruits in the nation, as evidenced by his track and field record: he won state championships in four events, including the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash.
At 6-foot and 212 pounds, Zeke was impossible to take down in the backfield, whether he rushed between the tackles or to the outside. It is no wonder he was heavily recruited for college football teams across the nation.
Ezekiel Elliott's College Career
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Elliott played for head coach Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes for three seasons and made quite an impression. Though he did not play much in his freshman year, he ended his time in Columbus with 4,410 yards from scrimmage to go along with 44 touchdowns.
In 2014, OSU participated in the inaugural College Football Playoff and beat Alabama and Oregon to coast to a national championship.
Elliott was named the MVP of both contests, thanks to his output of over 200 rushing yards in both the semifinal and national championship games.
His junior year was equally impressive, but the team was not selected to participate in any playoff games. After two All-Big Ten performances, Zeke declared for the NFL Draft.
Ezekiel Elliott on the Dallas Cowboys
Ezekiel Elliott is No. 24 on @NFL Top 100
Adrian Peterson: ?If you had to design a (perfect) running back, it would be Ezekiel.?
Landon Collins: ?I ain?t gonna lie to you, that?s the only running back I don?t like meeting in the hole. He?s a solid rock.? pic.twitter.com/9XTATCC9Dd
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 29, 2020
Now in his fifth season, Zeke continues to make New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Football Team fans miserable with his dominant play. Since his arrival, Dallas has won the NFC East on two occasions, but the playoffs have been trickier.
In their most recent appearance, they beat the Seattle Seahawks in the opening round but fell to the Los Angeles Rams a week later. Of course, the Cowboys are still looking for a Super Bowl appearance this century, and the loss of Dak Prescott will not make it any easier to succeed this year.
He is currently in the middle of a six-year contract extension. Only time will tell if paying for a running back will be an advantage or disadvantage for Dallas.
KEEP FEEDING, ZEKE! ?
Finishing the year with 1,434 rushing yards, #DallasCowboys running back @EzekielElliott is your 2018 @NFL rushing leader! https://t.co/oWSyV1U7f1
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) December 31, 2018
Ezekiel Elliott has proven to be every bit the dominant running back many expected him to be coming out of the John Burroughs School and Ohio State. Even his offseason COVID-19 diagnosis has (thankfully) not slowed him down on the field.
His highlights are supremely popular on social media and he is a marketable star. He has been in the same tier as Christian McCaffrey and there is not much that can stop him when he is healthy.
Even in this down season for Dallas, he has put up great performances against the Rams, Falcons, Seahawks, and Giants so far in 2020. He is a touchdown magnet and has been since his high school football days.
