Ezekiel Elliott: 'I Finally Get a Fair Trial'
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott says he is relieved that the courts gave him a temporary restraining order over the league-imposed six-game suspension that allowed him to play in the team's season opener.
The Cowboys beat the New York Giants 19–3 as Elliott had 24 carries for 104 yards and added five catches for 36 yards, days after winning an injunction and temporary blocking a six-game ban for violating the league's personal conduct policy.
Judge Amos Mazzant said that the appeal process was not fair to Elliott.
"Just relieved for the fact that I finally get a fair trial," Elliott said. "I finally get a chance to prove my innocence and just happy that I'll get to be with the guys for as long as permitted and not miss time and not having to be away from them."
Elliott was accused of assaulting an ex-girlfriend last year and after a police investigation, authorities in Columbus, Ohio, where the incident took place, declined to bring charges.
Elliott said the hardest part about the entire process is his name "getting dragged through the mud" "It's been 14 months. Just kind of being associated with that, that's tough."
"I've kind of stopped worrying about it because it's not in my hands," Elliott said. "At this point I'm focused right now on being the running back I need to be for this team to be successful so we can accomplish what we want to and remaining focused to keep playing at a high level."
