Dallas Cowboys Legends Discuss Ezekiel Elliott’s Hurdling Habit: “He Better Stop That”

After being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys fourth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, Ezekiel Elliott went on to put on a show for the fans of America’s Team. The running back kicked off the season with 20 carries for 50 yards, scoring his first touchdown against the team’s rival, New York Giants. By week 11, the Baller stamped his name in the team’s record books, by becoming the second Cowboys rookie to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. The history didn’t end there, by the end of his rookie season, the running back finished with 1,600 rushing yards, 15 rushing touchdowns and 1 receiving TD, hurdling a multitude of records.

While his performance speaks for itself, the Baller’s showmanship has become a cause for concern for a few Dallas Hall of Famers. In a nutshell, they believe he hurdles to much.

In the midst of an outstanding football career, Elliott was also an exceptional track & field athlete in high school. He was named the Gatorade’s Track Athlete of the Year in Missouri, after winning four state championships, posting his career-best times of 13.77 seconds in the 110m hurdles and 37.52 in the 300m hurdles. But, according to Tony Dorsett, his hurdling in the NFL can be dangerous.

“He better stop that. He better stop that. He better stop that,” Dorsett said at the anniversary celebration of the 1992 Cowboys Super Bowl team. “That’s one thing that I don’t like. When you get airborne, you’re at the mercy of the hit, and sometimes you can’t protect yourself. I think as he gets older he may take that out of his repertoire. He needs to stop that. That scares me every time he gets airborne. I’m like oh…”

Emmitt Smith provided a similar suggestion for the four-time Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week saying, “Get on the ground as quickly as possible.”

“Every time I watch somebody run, I’m looking very closely, very tentatively, seeing how they fall because a lot of things happen when you fall,” Smith added.

However, outside of that, Smith says he loves watching the young running back.

“He’s always falling forward. Great vision, tremendous speed, got a hell of a jump cut, and I mean he’s playing chess while others out there are playing checkers. I appreciate that. He’s a thinker. He’s a smart guy, and I love watching him run.”