Former OSU RB Ezekiel Elliott: Those guys don't want to tackle me
Bringing down Ezekiel Elliott isn’t an easy task.
That was well demonstrated throughout his career at Ohio State and it has translated to the NFL. Seven games in to his professional career, the former Buckeye back has amassed 799 yards and five TDs with the Dallas Cowboys. From Sept. 25 through Oct. 16, Elliott eclipsed the 100-yard mark in four consecutive games and has been a catalyst in the team’s 6-1 start.
How is the rookie ball-carrier having so much success so early in his career? Elliott provided some insight to NFL.com’s Jane Slater:
I wouldn’t say I look for contact, but during the game, there has to be a moment where you set the tone and let them know you’re a physical player, and when you let those defensive backs know you’re a physical player, they don’t really want to tackle you. That’s why you see me get a hurdle every game — those guys don’t want to tackle me when I get to the second level.
Elliott is early into his career, so making this statement about defensive backs could give teams an extra incentive to lock him down in the coming weeks. Then again, Elliott has a unique combination of speed and power that makes it tough for defenses to bring him down.
In three years at Ohio State, Elliott rushed for 3,961 yards and 43 TDs. He became a household name in the final three games of the 2014 season, when he rushed for 696 yards and eight TDs against Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon as the Buckeyes claimed the inaugural College Football Playoff title.