Buckeyes Now

'Whatever it Takes!' Ezekiel Elliott Taking Selfless Approach to Second Stint With Dallas Cowboys

Former Ohio State Buckeyes star Ezekiel Elliott is back with the Dallas Cowboys, and looking to make an impact in any way he can.

Matt Galatzan

Jun 5, 2024; Frisco, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 5, 2024; Frisco, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports / Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports
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Former Ohio State Buckeyes star running back is back in familiar territory.

Not only has he re-signed with the Dallas Cowboys, but he is also donning a new jersey number in No. 15 - the same number he wore during his time in Columbus.

And while he might not be the same player he was back in 2016 when he was winning the NFL rushing title as a rookie, he still believes he can make an impact for Dallas. Which is exactly what he aims to do with his new fresh start with the franchise.

“I love football, so I’m gonna do whatever it takes for me to help this team win," Elliott told DallasCowboys.com. "Whatever that is."

Elliott, who had rushed for 8,262 yards and 68 touchdowns over seven seasons in his first stint in Dallas, spent last season in New England, where he was deployed in a variety of roles, and in some cases found tremendous success.

In total, he made five starts and played in all 17 games, rushing 184 times for 642 yards and three touchdowns.

But more importantly, he made his name with New England doing the dirty work in pas coverage and in short yardage situation - something he aims to bring to the Cowboys, who struggled in those areas in a big way in 2023.

“We’ve got a lot of good, young players that bring a lot of good things to the table,” Elliott said. “I’m excited to get to work with them in camp and help them to continue to develop. I’ve got eight years with however many carries, however many reps and however many blitz pickups, so the experience (will be helpful). … I’ve seen just about everything. I just want to give them a little bit of my experience and any tidbit that can help them.”

As it stands, Elliott could be in line to start for the Cowboys in 2024, but more than likely he will once again be deployed in a variety of different roles.

Either way, his experience and selfless approach should help Dallas significantly in their defense of the NFC East.

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com, AllAggies.com, and the Managing Editor of BuckeyesNow.com and TheGroveReport.com He is also the Editor-In-Chief of RamDigest.com and TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com

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