Ezekiel Elliott paid back his family for all their support by using funds from his first NFL paycheck to buy his parents and two younger sisters a new home in the St. Louis area.
The Dallas Cowboys rookie running back’s father and mother, Stacy and Dawn, went to great lengths to provide for their children and ensure they received the best educations possible, including sending their son to the John Burrough Academy, a top-notch private school in a St. Louis suburb.
“Dawn and I sacrificed to provide a high quality education for Ezekiel and his sisters,” Stacy told 5 Points Blue after the 2016 NFL Draft, where Elliott was selected fourth-overall by the Cowboys. “We’re a middle class family trying to provide an upper class education and lifestyle for our children. Ezekiel went to private school his academic career through high school. So we didn’t drive the best cars. We didn’t go on fine trips or live in big houses. Most of our money went to the children. Our family vacations were AAU national track championships held in places across the country.”
Elliott couldn’t be happier to demonstrate his appreciation to his parents, especially his mother, for all how much work and effort was put in to provide him the best opportunities to succeed.
“It just feels really good to reward my mom,” Elliott told The Dallas Morning News. “The hard work she put in raising me and all she sacrificed, finally being able to do something for her for the first time feels really good.”
Elliott signed his rookie deal on May 18, a four-year, $24.9 million deal that included a $16.3 million signing bonus. While the transition from being a star with the Ohio State Buckeyes to becoming a successful running back at the NFL level obviously will have its many challenges, it’s clear that Elliott understands exactly how much his parents helped get him to this spot.
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