Ezekiel Elliott is receiving praise for a kind gesture off the field.
The Dallas Cowboys confirmed the All-Pro running back will pay for the funeral expenses of Jaylon McKenzie, an eighth-grade football player who was killed by a stray bullet as he left a party near St. Louis over the weekend.
"He's just very generous," Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said. "He's got a great spirit about him. We see that every day as players and coaches. Anybody that's been around him knows that, and it doesn't surprise me one bit that he would get involved there. He's someone that a lot of people look up to, a lot of people certainly in the St. Louis and Missouri, Ohio State, all across the country. If you're a fan of football, you know Zeke Elliott, and anybody who's been around him on a daily basis knows what kind of person he is."
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones also sang the praises of the two-time Pro Bowl running back.
"It just goes to show you what kind of person I think Zeke is off the field," said Jones. "He's a caring person. We all know when you're young, coming out of school, you're 20 or 21-years-old. I know I didn't do things exactly right. You stumble but he certainly learned from some tough times. You see things like this and like I said, it doesn't surprise me because I know how big a heart he has and we're lucky to have Zeke Elliott on this football team."
Elliott did not speak to reporters at the Cowboys' annual golf tournament in Grapevine on Wednesday.
