Ezekiel Elliott's 'Big Lie': Dallas Cowboys Reunion - And Zeke's Top 10 Reactions
FRISCO - Over the course of his seven-year NFL career in Dallas, Ezekiel Elliott was a fairly unvarnished truth-teller. ... honest about his ups and his downs, often wearing his mostly-jubilant moods on his Cowboys jersey sleeve.
But this week, as the two-time league rushing champion will enter AT&T Stadium in Week 4 as a visiting player as a member of the 1-2 Patriots? Zeke's top 10 reactions - his top 10 "takes'' - include one fib.
Ezekiel Elliott and Emmitt Smith
© Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
1 - Early in the week, Elliott was asked about his anticipation of the reunion and said, “It’s just another week for me.'' That is of course an "untruth.'' The Elliott we know will be emotionally-charged by both friendship (with close pal Dak Prescott and many others) and "revenge'' of a sort, a desire to "prove'' that Dallas erred when it made him an offseason cap casualty.
2 - Elliott did address his departure - and in a way cited his relationship with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who is planning a "surprise'' (likely a video tribute) - by detailing what Jones told him of the breakup.
"He told me what was going on, that it's not something he wanted to do but it was just part of business,'' Elliott said. "There was (minimal) talks about (me) coming back."
3 - “Business is business,'' Elliott said of the challenge of being released. "Anyone who gets released or gets cut, it’s going to be tough mentally. But life is life. It is what it is.''
4 - And on rebooting his career, now as Rhamondre Stevenson's backup in New England? "It was on me to get back on the horse,'' he said of signing with the Patriots. "You can’t let negatives weigh you down. You gotta take a negative and turn it into a positive. And that’s what I’m working to do.”
5 - Zeke's self-scouting: “I think I got plenty left in the tank. I still think that I’m a very good back.”
6 - On "little brother'' Tony Pollard, now the No. 1 back in Dallas: "It doesn't surprise me at all. Ever since Tony got to Dallas, I knew what type of back he is ... I wish him well."
7 - Something "weird''? "I don't know what I'm necessarily expecting,'' he said. "It's definitely going to be weird, just being in a different uniform, being in a different locker room.''
8 - Something "good''? "I'm looking forward to coming back and reuniting with the fans,'' he said. "Even though I'll be in a different uniform, I think it will be a good experience."
9 - Zeke on his Dallas "legacy'' - his charitable work in DFW: "I think I accomplished a lot on the field when I was in Dallas, but I want my legacy to be also what I meant for the community,'' Elliott said.
10 - And the final word: "Dallas,'' Ezekiel Elliott said, "is definitely is home to me."
