How Long Has Ezekiel Elliott Been in the NFL?

Ezekiel Elliott has been in the NFL for four seasons now, and he’s been one of the league’s most productive running backs during that time. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at his career so far and see how he stacks up against some of the other greats at his position.

Ezekiel Elliott’s NFL Career

Ezekiel Elliott was drafted fourth overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2016 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned second-team All-America honors in 2015. As a rookie in 2016, he led the league in rushing yards and was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Elliott has continued to be one of the league’s top running backs, being named a first-team All-Pro in 2016 and 2018.

Draft

The 2016 NFL Draft was held between April 28–30, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. Elliott was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the fourth overall pick in the first round. In his rookie season, he led the NFL in rushing yards (1,631), attempts (322), and rushing touchdowns (15), en route to being named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. His debut against the New York Giants was described as “one of the best opening-week performances by a back” in NFL history by ESPN. He became the first rookie running back to rush for more than 130 yards and a touchdown in each of his first five games.

Rookie season

Ezekiel Elliott had an amazing rookie season, setting the NFL record for most rushing yards in a season by a rookie. He was drafted 4th overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2016 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State, where he was a two-time All-American.

Sophomore season

The 2016 season was Elliott’s breakout year. He led the league in rushing yards (1,631), attempts (322), and tied for first in rushing touchdowns (15). Elliott’s lofty statistical production helped the Cowboys to an NFC-best 13–3 record and their first division title since 2009. In the playoffs, he rushed for 137 yards in a 27–17 win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Round. The following week, he ran for 125 yards as the Cowboys defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 38-31, in the NFC Championship Game. In Super Bowl LI, he had a game-high 104 yards on 21 carries in a 34-28 loss to the New England Patriots.

Ezekiel Elliott’s Personal Life

Ezekiel Elliott is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned second-team All-America honors in 2015. He was drafted by the Cowboys fourth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. Elliott’s personal life has been the subject of much media scrutiny.

Family

Ezekiel Elliott’s family has been by his side through everything, from his early days of playing football to his current career in the NFL. His parents, Stuart and Dawn Elliott, have been supportive of their son throughout his entire career. They have always encouraged him to follow his dreams and have been there for him every step of the way.

Ezekiel has two sisters, Aaliyah and Lailah, who are also supportive of his career. In fact, they are often seen cheering him on from the sidelines during games. Ezekiel is extremely close with his family and they are a big part of his life.

Education

Ezekiel Elliott is a professional American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned second-team All-America honors in 2015. He was drafted by the Cowboys fourth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Elliott attended John Burroughs School in Ladue, Missouri, where he played for the John Burroughs Bombers high school football team. As a junior in 2012, he rushed for 1,802 yards and 34 touchdowns, leading his team to a 12–1 record and its first state championship appearance since 2003. On December 30, 2012, Elliott was named Gatorade National Football Player of the Year. In 2013, as a senior, he ran for 3,061 yards and 50 touchdowns as his team repeated as state champions; he also had 12 catches for 311 yards and four touchdowns.

Off-field incidents

In 2016, Elliott’s former girlfriend, Tiffany Thompson, accused him of domestic violence in Columbus, Ohio. The NFL conducted an investigation led by Kia Roberts that included interviews with more than a dozen witnesses, but the league could not find “sufficient evidence” that Elliott committed domestic violence and closed its investigation in September 2016. However, after Roberts reportedly recommended no suspension for Elliott, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell intervened and suspended Elliott for six games on August 11, 2017.

Elliott appealed the suspension and it was initially upheld by Harold Henderson before being overturned by arbitrator Harold Laswell on September 6th. Zeke was then granted a restraining order from serving his suspension and was able to play the entirety of the 2017 season.
The NFL appealed the decision made by Harold Laswell and on Thursday October 12th Judge Amos L. Mazzant III ruled that Zeke must serve his suspension immediately. This ruling came just two days before the Dallas Cowboys were set to play against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football.
On November 4th, a federal appeals court ruled that Ezekiel Elliott’s six-game suspension was back in place as they threw out a lower court’s injunction that had blocked it. The court also said it would not consider Elliott’s appeal until he had served his suspension. This means that Zeke will miss games against the Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Redskins, New York Giants, and Oakland Raiders unless another injunction is filed or the NFLPA takes the case to federal court again.