In the illustrious history of the Dallas Cowboys football organization, only three running backs have been selected in the top 20 picks of the National Football League Draft.
The first two picks were Tony Dorsett in 1976 and Emmitt Smith in 1990. Both became NFL stars, Super Bowl Champions and Hall of Famers.
St. Louisian Ezekiel Elliott joined Dorsett and Smith in that select group of top 20 picks when he was taken No. 4 by Dallas in last week’s NFL Draft, held in Chicago. The former John Burroughs School and Ohio State University star was ranked the No. 1 back in this year’s draft class, and he didn’t have to wait long to hear from his dream team. His emotions came to the surface when he got the call from Cowboys’ head coach Jason Garrett.
“When they first told me on the phone call I just, I kind of lost it and I dropped the phone and almost burst into tears, but I ended up holding it together,” Elliott said. “Then I started talking to Mr. (Cowboys owner Jerry) Jones. He told me I was going to be a Cowboy, and they’re excited for me to come down.”
For the 5’11” 225-pound Elliott, the Cowboys are a franchise that is tailor-made for his talents as a running back. The Cowboys have an abundance of skill position players on offense as well as the league’s most dominant offensive line. Elliott called it a “running back’s dream.”
“I thought it was the best situation for myself, with the best offensive line, three superstars with Tony Romo, Jason Witten and Dez Bryant,” he said. “I’m ready to go, play with that line and learn from those guys that are vets.”
After a stellar prep career at John Burroughs School, Elliott went to The Ohio State University where he became one of the best running backs in the school’s history. In three seasons, he rushed for 3,961 yards and 44 touchdowns.
Elliott led the Buckeyes to college football’s national championship in 2014 after enjoying record-setting performances in the Big Ten Championship Game, the Sugar Bowl and National Championship Game in succession.
It would be difficult to script a better career path for the multi-talented Elliott. First, he was a superstar at one of the most tradition-rich small school programs in the state of Missouri. Then, you go to one of the college football’s blue-blood programs, where you become a star and lead them to a national championship. And, for the icing on the cake, you are the top draft selection for America’s Team.
How do you top that?
Valentine to Patriots
Another area football player taken in last week’s draft was former Edwardsville High standout Vincent Valentine, who was taken in the third round by the New England Patriots. A 6’4” 313-pound defensive tackle, Valentine was a standout player at Nebraska before leaving after his junior season.
Former Soldan High standout Paul McRoberts was signed by the Los Angeles Rams as a free agent after going undrafted last week. McRoberts played his college ball at Southeast Missouri State, where he was one of the top receivers in the Ohio Valley Conference. McRoberts left SEMO as the school’s career leader in touchdowns for a receiver with 29. He also enjoyed an excellent performance in the Senior Bowl, where he caught a touchdown pass.
