Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott has big-time fan in IndyCar driver Graham Rahal

IndyCar driver Graham Rahal knew how to excite a crowd of children in Texas. Talk about football, of course.

Rahal is a lifelong Ohio State fan and couldn’t be happier to see running back Ezekiel Elliott land with the Dallas Cowboys. That served as an easy talking point as he greeted thousands of students Tuesday as part of Texas Motor Speedway’s “Speeding to Read” program.

“He’s a stud. He is awesome,” Rahal said of Elliott. “He’s got the best O-line in all of football there. He’s just a hell of a player, man. And he’s a great blocker in the backfield, so hopefully he can keep [quarterback Tony] Romo healthy. Just a heck of a competitor.”

Rahal grew up in New Albany, Ohio, which is about a 30-minute drive to Ohio State’s campus in Columbus. He’s been going to games there since a youngster, and certainly enjoyed watching Elliott rush for more than 1,800 yards in each of the past two seasons.

Rahal even had a customized Ohio State racing helmet made for him, which donned his car No. 15 – also Elliott’s number in college.

Rahal sent Elliott a congratulatory text once the Cowboys selected him with the fourth overall pick last month, and also reached out to another friend of his – Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith – about what Elliott would bring to the team.

“We’ve watched a lot of good players in my time at Ohio State,” Rahal said. “But I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a better pure competitor, all-around running back than Zeke. The kid is insance.

“The work ethic and everything else … he’s extremely, extremely good.”

This story was originally published May 24, 2016 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott has big-time fan in IndyCar driver Graham Rahal."