FRISCO, Texas– As the Cowboys prepare to fly to Oxnard this weekend for training camp, team owner/general manager Jerry Jones spoke to reporters Tuesday about his All-Pro running back, Ezekiel Elliott, recently surfacing in the news off the field.
Elliott's name was mentioned in published reports Monday regarding an alleged incident at a Dallas club in which a 30-year-old man was struck on the nose. However, Dallas police had no record of Elliott's alleged involvement and did not list him as a suspect, according to reports.
Speaking in general terms about his 21-year-old running back, Jones said Elliott is still developing awareness for being in the public eye and handling it.
"As you well know, because of his style and personality, it's like a rock star wherever he goes in terms of attention," Jones said. "Anybody that's experienced that knows that takes getting used to. You have to learn many aspects of that. Certainly Zeke is evolving and being subject to needing to learn how to deal with the media and social media the way it is today."
Jones did not want to speculate on reports last week suggesting the possibility of a short suspension for Elliott as the NFL continues an investigation into July 2016 domestic violence allegations against Elliott by a former girlfriend.
Last September, the Columbus (Ohio) City Attorney's Office announced that Elliott would not face charges. Elliott went on to lead the NFL in rushing as last year's fourth overall pick.
A player can still face punishment from the league under its personal conduct policy even if he is cleared of legal charges.
Jones said he has not spoken to the league regarding Elliott's status. He said he has spoken to Elliott since Sunday but did not want to elaborate.[embeddedad0]
The Cowboys are scheduled to hold their first training camp practice Monday.
"We want to continue educate ourselves as to how behavior, how it can be portrayed," Jones said. "From the day I became involved with the NFL, I have had to continually address and learn what it's like to have your every word possibly played back to you in a very public way."
