Cowboys Players Embrace Ezekiel Elliott’s Return With Patriots

The New England Patriots did not have much to smile about Sunday in a 38-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

One player, however, did have a positive day at AT&T Stadium.

Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott returned to the stadium that he called home for the first seven years of his career. Dallas honored him with a pregame video and a chance to reconvene with several former teammates.

“At the beginning of the game, it was definitely a surreal moment,” Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence told reporters, per a team-provided transcript. “Once we took him down a couple of times it was like alright, it’s Zeke but you know we still have to do our jobs. Much love to Zeke, glad you came back to visit us and good luck to you the rest of the season.”

Elliott’s former head coach had similar praises for a player who helped lay the foundation of the Cowboys’ current core.

“I thought it was awesome,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters, per a team-provided transcript. “Why can we not respect people before us? What he meant to the organization; I thought the tribute was outstanding. It was great to see him afterwards. But everyone understands when the ball is kicked off, it’s a football game. I’m sure it was no different for him. It’s about respect, because at the end of the day that’s all we really want. This is a hard business, it’s difficult to be successful. I was very proud of the organization because he deserves to be recognized. I thought that part of it was a home run.”

During his Dallas tenure, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft won two rushing titles as a three-time Pro Bowler.