Ezekiel Elliott: I have a lot to prove

[Rowdy]

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Ezekiel Elliott had 30 runs of 20 yards or more in his first three seasons. He had four last season with a long of 33.

It raised questions about his lack of explosiveness.

“Um, shoot, I don’t know,” the Cowboys running back said Monday. “Just finishing, got to make more guys miss in open field. I don’t know.”

For the first time, Elliott admitted the lack of training camp last year played a part in his slow start. He held out last summer, working out in Mexico until the opening week of the season when he signed an extension.

“I think it did take me a little bit,” Elliott said. “I mean, I’m just a football player. I think I was ready. It’s definitely going to be better to have the training camp this year, just to make sure I’m rolling Week One.”

He lost a month of training with COVID-19 this offseason, but Elliott is fully participating in training camp this summer.

Elliott, 25, has led the league in rushing in two of his four seasons, and he’s averaged 96.5 yards per game. He has earned three Pro Bowls and was All-Pro as a rookie.

But he expects even more of himself.

“I think I do have a lot to prove,” Elliott said. “I have high expectations of myself. It’s not something you go enforce. You just go grind, go to work every day and let it happen.”

Elliott has only one goal this season, and it’s a big one.

“My individual goals are just win a Super Bowl,” Elliott said. “We have a great team. This is our time. That’s all of our goals. Just win a Super Bowl and everything else is going to fall in place after that.”