History of Ezekiel Elliott in Timeline
Ezekiel "Zeke" Elliott is a professional American football running back. He achieved All-American status at Ohio State before being drafted fourth overall by the Dallas Cowboys in 2016. During his seven seasons with the Cowboys, Elliott earned three Pro Bowl selections, two All-Pro selections, and led the NFL in rushing yards in both 2016 and 2018. After being released by the Cowboys, he played a season with the New England Patriots before returning to the Cowboys in 2024.
1977: Tony Dorsett's Record
In 1977, Tony Dorsett rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season as a Cowboys Rookie.
1981: George Rogers' 1,674 rushing yards
In 1981, George Rogers rushed for 1,674 yards.
1983: Eric Dickerson's rookie record
In 1983, Eric Dickerson set the rookie record with 1,808 rushing yards.
July 22, 1995: Ezekiel Elliott Born
On July 22, 1995, Ezekiel Elijah Elliott, nicknamed "Zeke," was born. He is an American professional football running back.
1997: Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day halftime show kicks off the Red Kettle campaign
Since 1997, the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day football game halftime show has traditionally kicked off the Red Kettle campaign.
2007: Compared to Adrian Peterson
Before the NFL draft, in 2007, Ezekiel Elliott was labeled the most complete back to enter the NFL since Adrian Peterson.
2012: St. Louis Post-Dispatch Offensive Player of the Year
In 2012, as a junior, Ezekiel Elliott was named the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offensive player of the year after an impressive season with the John Burroughs Bombers football team.
2013: Signs with Ohio State University
Despite pressure to sign with the University of Missouri, Ezekiel Elliott decided to sign with Ohio State University in 2013.
2013: Ranked as No. 9 Running Back
In 2013, Ezekiel Elliott was considered a four-star recruit and listed as the No. 9 running back in the nation by Scout.com.
2013: Freshman Year at Ohio State
In 2013, as a true freshman at Ohio State University, Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 262 yards with two touchdowns.
2014: Heisman Trophy Front-Runner
At the end of the 2014 season, Ezekiel Elliott became a front-runner for the 2015 Heisman Trophy.
2014: Streak of 100-yard games
From 2014 to 2015 Ezekiel Elliot had a streak of 15 consecutive 100-yard games.
2014: Starting Role and Academic Honors
In 2014, Ezekiel Elliott became the starting running back for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was named to the Academic All-Big Ten Conference team.
2014: Offensive MVP Awards
In 2014, Ezekiel Elliott was named the Offensive MVP of the 2015 Sugar Bowl and the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
2015: All-American Honors
In 2015, Ezekiel Elliott earned second-team All-American honors while playing college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
2015: Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year
In 2015, Ezekiel Elliott was named the Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year, Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year, and Unanimous First Team All-Big Ten.
2015: Offensive MVP Awards
In 2015, Ezekiel Elliott was named the Offensive MVP of the 2015 Sugar Bowl and the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
2015: Sugar Bowl Offensive MVP and National Championship
In 2015, Ezekiel Elliott was named the Offensive Player of the Game in the Sugar Bowl victory against Alabama and the Offensive MVP in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game against Oregon.
2015: Record-Breaking Season
In the 2015 season, Ezekiel Elliott tied the school record with 12 100-yard rushing games.
April 28, 2016: Drafted by Dallas Cowboys
On April 28, 2016, Ezekiel Elliott was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the NFL draft as the fourth overall pick.
May 18, 2016: Signs Rookie Contract
On May 18, 2016, Ezekiel Elliott signed his four-year rookie contract with the Dallas Cowboys, reportedly worth $24.9 million with a $16.3 million signing bonus.
2016: 1,000 Rushing Yards
During the 2016 season, Ezekiel Elliott became the second Cowboys rookie to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season.
2016: Declared for NFL Draft
In 2016, Ezekiel Elliott declared for the NFL Draft.
2016: Domestic Violence Allegations
In 2016, Ezekiel Elliott was accused of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend on five occasions, leading to an NFL investigation.
2016: NFL Draft and Rushing Leader
In 2016, Ezekiel Elliott was selected by the Dallas Cowboys fourth overall in the NFL draft and led the league in rushing yards.
August 11, 2017: NFL Suspends Elliott
On August 11, 2017, the NFL suspended Ezekiel Elliott for the first six games of the 2017 season for violating the personal conduct policy.
October 12, 2017: Suspension Reinstated
On October 12, 2017, the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals announced that Ezekiel Elliott's suspension had been reinstated.
2017: Ranked on NFL Top 100
Due to his successful 2016 season, Ezekiel Elliott was ranked seventh by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017 and was the highest ranked running back.
2018: Ranked on NFL Top 100
Ezekiel Elliott was ranked 54th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.
2018: NFL Rushing Leader
In 2018, Ezekiel Elliott led the NFL in rushing yards.
2018: Rushing Title and Pro Bowl Nomination
In the 2018 season, Ezekiel Elliott won the rushing title for the second time and earned a second Pro Bowl nomination.
April 17, 2019: Fifth-Year Option
On April 17, 2019, the Cowboys picked up the fifth-year option on Ezekiel Elliott's contract.
2019: Pro Bowl Nomination
Ezekiel Elliott earned his third Pro Bowl nomination for 2019.
2019: Successful Season
Ezekiel Elliott finished the 2019 season with 301 carries for 1,357 yards and 12 touchdowns, along with 54 receptions for 420 yards and two touchdowns.
2019: Ranked on NFL Top 100
Ezekiel Elliott was ranked 18th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.
2020: Season Performance
Ezekiel Elliott finished the 2020 season with 244 carries for 979 yards and six touchdowns, along with 52 receptions for 338 yards and two touchdowns.
2020: Ranked on NFL Top 100
Ezekiel Elliott was ranked 24th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.
August 27, 2021: Cowboys Restructure Elliott's Contract
On August 27, 2021, the Cowboys restructured Ezekiel Elliott's contract, converting $8.6 million of his base salary into a signing bonus to create salary cap space.
2022: Released by Cowboys
After the 2022 season, Ezekiel Elliott was released by the Dallas Cowboys.
March 15, 2023: Cowboys Release Elliott
On March 15, 2023, the Dallas Cowboys released Ezekiel Elliott.
August 16, 2023: Elliott Signs with New England Patriots
On August 16, 2023, Ezekiel Elliott signed a one-year contract with the New England Patriots, where he was expected to contribute in third-down and red zone situations.
2023: Plays for New England Patriots
In 2023, Ezekiel Elliott played for the New England Patriots.
April 30, 2024: Elliott Re-Signs with Dallas Cowboys
On April 30, 2024, Ezekiel Elliott signed a one-year contract to return to the Dallas Cowboys.
December 2024: Elliott and Cowboys Mutually Part Ways
In December 2024, Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys agreed to mutually part ways after Elliott requested to be released.
2024: Re-signs with Cowboys
In 2024, Ezekiel Elliott re-signed with the Dallas Cowboys.
January 6, 2025: Elliott Joins Los Angeles Chargers Practice Squad
On January 6, 2025, Ezekiel Elliott signed with the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad.
2026: Contract Extension
On September 4, 2019, Ezekiel Elliott signed a six-year extension with the Cowboys, keeping him under contract through the 2026 season.
