CHICAGO — The most recent recipient of the Silver Football is set to take his talents Jerryworld.
The Dallas Cowboys selected Ohio State star tailback Ezekiel Elliott with the fourth overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft Thursday, making him the first running back off the board. Elliott is the second running back drafted in the top-10 in as many seasons, following former Georgia star Todd Gurley, who the then-St. Louis Rams took 10th last year.
"I'm a competitor, that's it," Elliott told NFL Network's Deion Sanders moments after Dallas drafted him. "I'm coming to Dallas to win a Super Bowl."
Elliott's father, Stacy, was emotional after seeing his son drafted:
Yes, Stacy Elliott cried... #Buckeyes #DraftDay #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/yxabFuEAgr
— Annie Apple (@SurvivinAmerica) April 29, 2016
Elliott becomes the first Ohio State running back drafted since the San Francisco 49ers took Carlos Hyde in the second round (57th overall) in 2014. He is also the first running back out of Ohio State taken on the first day of the draft since Beanie Wells, who went 31st to Arizona in 2009.
The Big Ten's Most Valuable Player, Elliott also earned the nod as the conference's Offensive Player and Running Back of the Year after tallying 1,672 yards and 19 touchdowns while leading the Buckeyes to an 11-1 regular season record. He finished the 2015 season with 1,821 yards and 23 scores and averaged 6.3 yards per carry his junior season.
The pulse of an offense that struggled for the majority of 2015, Elliott finished his Ohio State career with 3,961 yards and passed Eddie George for second all-time in school history during his team's 42-13 defeat of Michigan. Two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin is first with 5,589 yards.
Elliott eclipsed the 100-yard mark 22 times while at Ohio State and topped 200 yards in five games. He was integral in bringing Urban Meyer his first national championship as head coach of the Buckeyes, racking up an 696 yards and eight touchdowns in wins against Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon in the 2014 postseason.
Elliott joins former Buckeye Rod Smith on the roster in Dallas and another former Ohio State player that plays for an NFC East team is ready and waiting.
I'm kinda torn... Congrats @EzekielElliott ... Kinda. I'll see u twice a year young buckeye! #FlyEaglesFly
— Malcolm Jenkins (@MalcolmJenkins) April 29, 2016
