There will be no questioning Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott and his commitment to doing everything he can to be the best player he can be to help his team win in 2021.
From the remaking of his body to what he has put in his body, Elliott is motivated and selfless.
The most vivid example is the shape he’s in, thanks to a rigorous offseason program that has him quicker and leaner than ever.
At 218 pounds to open training camp, Elliott says it’s the lightest he’s been since his freshman year at Ohio State, and it’s all part of his mission to rebound from the worst season of his NFL career.
Not only did the two-time rushing champion have the worst statistical season of his career in 2020, averaging 4.0 yards per carry and only 65.3 rushing yards per game, but he scored just six rushing touchdowns and had six fumbles with five lost.
“Just having the year I had last year,” Elliott said. “You don’t need more motivation than that. I just know the type of player I am. I don’t think I showed that last year. I got a lot to prove. I just made sure I didn’t leave any doubt out there that I didn’t do as much as I needed to do.
“I think the hardest part about last year is you feel like you let your teammates down. That hurts. I want to make sure I put my best step forward and do everything I need to do to help this team win.”
Elliott credited a personal chef for improving nutrition and private running backs coach Josh Hicks with workouts emphasizing short-area quickness and ball security.
Taking one for the team
But perhaps the best example of Elliott’s commitment to the Cowboys’ mission this season was his decision to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Elliott grew up in a family that didn’t believe in vaccines, but after he contracted coronavirus before last season he made the decision to get the vaccine.
However, he remains sensitive on the issue of encouraging his teammates to get the it because it’s a personal choice.
“I got the vaccine just because I wanted to put myself in the best situation to be out there for my team week in and week out,” Elliott said. “But I mean not everyone feels that strongly or maybe other people still have their view of vaccines. You can’t force someone to do something they don’t want to do with their body.”
Elliott knows the best way he can help the Cowboys win and regain his status as one of the league’s top running backs is being able to stay on the field and get back to his old production.
In his first three seasons in the league, Elliott had 31 plays of 20 or more yards, including four in excess of 40 yards. But he’s only had four plays of 20-plus yards in 2019 and three in 2020. And his long play over those two seasons was only 27 yards.
He says working with Hicks had made him quicker and that should result in the big plays returning to his game.
“I think it’s definitely something I needed to work on, it’s definitely something I needed to improve,” Elliott said. “So I went and got in the lab and got better.”