Ezekiel Elliott believes he can still carry the load at running back in return to Cowboys

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Ezekiel Elliott's reunion with the Dallas Cowboys comes long after his days as a two-time rushing champion, presumably as part of a committee of running backs.

The 2016 All-Pro isn't ready to settle for such a role just yet.

“I think I still am a dominant guy,” Elliott told reporters at a Cowboys charity event Wednesday night, a day after signing a one-year deal worth up to $3 million. “I’ve got to go out there and prove that. That’s the motivation. I think you all know how I feel about competing and leaving it all out there for my team.”

One thing will be different for sure: Elliott's jersey number.

He's sticking with 15, his Ohio State number, and his choice for his only season in New England after becoming an instant star in Dallas while wearing No. 21.

“I just kind of look at it as a different era,” said Elliott, who will turn 29 about the same time the Cowboys report to training camp in California in July. “Since they made the rule that running backs could wear the single digits or the teens, I knew I wanted to switch.”

After getting drafted fourth overall in 2016, Elliott teamed with quarterback Dak Prescott to create a dynamic rookie pairing that led Dallas on an 11-game winning streak and the top seed in the NFC playoffs.

Prescott then edged Elliott for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after the Cowboys lost to Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay in their playoff debut.

The usually stoic Prescott was clearly bothered by the release of Elliott after seven seasons in a cost-cutting move last year. It went without saying how Prescott would react to his return.

“Super excited,” Prescott said. “Knowing our history, my experience with him as a brother, but in this case as a teammate. Understanding what he brings to the team, just the locker room alone, the culture he sets. A guy that does everything the right way.”

Elliott spent last season as the backup to Rhamondre Stevenson with the Patriots but started the last five games when Stephenson was injured, finishing with a team-best 642 yards rushing but career lows in touchdowns (three) and yards per carry (3.5).

Elliott rejoins a team that includes Rico Dowdle, Elliott’s teammate from 2020-22, second-year players Deuce Vaughn and Hunter Luepke and another young, unproven back in Malik Davis. Dallas also added journeyman Royce Freeman this offseason.

Prescott thinks Elliott is the perfect fit. Never mind the declining production of just one 1,000-yard season — and just barely at 1,002 — out of the past four.

“He’s a real guy. He’s honest,” Prescott said. “He can have fun when it’s time, but when it’s time to be serious and lock in, there’s nobody better than him. It’s something every young guy should follow, the way he goes about his business on the field.”

Fueled by rushing titles in two of his first three seasons, Elliott is the third-leading rusher in franchise history with 8,262 yards. He trails two Pro Football Hall of Famers — all-time NFL rushing leader Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett.

The three-time Pro Bowler also knows the history of postseason disappointment in Dallas, having made the playoffs with the Cowboys four times without getting past the divisional round.

The biggest shock of the Prescott era came without Elliott last season. The NFC East champs were stunned by Green Bay 48-32 in a wild-card game at home, becoming the first team in NFL history to win 12 games in three consecutive seasons and not reach a conference championship game.

“I’ve got unfinished business,” Elliott said. “I’m here to chase the ring.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

FILE - Dallas Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott runs during the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Arlington, Texas. The Dallas Cowboys are reuniting with running back Ezekiel Elliott after agreeing to terms on a contract with the former two-time rushing champion, a person with knowledge of the deal said Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins, File)

FILE - New England Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023, in Denver. The Dallas Cowboys are reuniting with running back Ezekiel Elliott after agreeing to terms on a contract with the former two-time rushing champion, a person with knowledge of the deal said Monday, April 29, 2024.(AP Photo/David Zalubowski, FIle)

HOUSTON (AP) — Fast-moving thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas on Thursday for the second time this month, killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings, downing trees and knocking out power to nearly 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area.

Officials urged residents to keep off roads, as many were impassable and traffic lights were expected to be out for much of the night.

“Stay at home tonight, do not go to work tomorrow, unless you’re an essential worker. Stay home, take care of your children,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in an evening briefing. “Our first responders will be working around the clock.”

The mayor said four people died. At least two of the deaths were caused by falling trees, and another happened when a crane blew over in strong winds, officials said.

Streets were flooded, and trees and power lines were down across the region. Whitmire said wind speeds reached 100 mph (160 kph), “with some twisters.”

Hundreds of windows were shattered at downtown hotels and office buildings, with glass littering the streets below, and the state was sending Department of Public Safety officers to secure the area.

“Downtown is a mess,” Whitmite said.

There was a backlog of 911 calls that first responders were working through, he added.

The storm system moved through swiftly, but flood watches and warnings remained for Houston and areas to the east.

Flights were briefly grounded at Houston's two major airports. Sustained winds topping 60 mph (96 kph) were recorded at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

More than 870,000 customers were without electricity in and around Harris County, which contains Houston, according to poweroutage.us. The county is home to more than 4.7 million people.

The damage extended to the city's suburbs, with emergency officials in neighboring Montgomery County describing the damage to transmission lines as “catastrophic” and warning that power could be impacted for several days.

The Houston Independent School District canceled classes Friday for all its 274 campuses.

Heavy storms slammed the region during the first week of May, leading to numerous high-water rescues, including some from the rooftops of flooded homes.

Transmission power lines are down near the Grand Parkway and West Road after a storm Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Cypress, Texas. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Transmission power lines are down near the Grand Parkway and West Road after a storm Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Cypress, Texas. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP)