Cowboys Player Ezekiel Elliott Pays For Slain 8th Grader's Funeral

Source: Joe Robbins / Getty

Cowboys Running Back Ezekiel Elliott Will Pay For Jaylon McKenzie’s Funeral Expenses

This past weekend, the family of Jaylon McKenzie was struck with grief when the star football player was killed at a party. Now, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is stepping in to cover the funeral expenses.

According to ESPN, Elliott, who grew up in St. Louis, reached out to McKenzie’s family soon after the eighth grader died. He wanted to keep the matter between him and the family, but the Cowboys confirmed that Elliott was paying for their funeral expenses.

“Zeke is really a special guy,” coach Jason Garrett said on Wednesday at the team’s sponsors’ golf tournament taking place at the Cowboys Golf Club. “He’s a great football player obviously, but he’s a really good person and that doesn’t surprise me one bit.”

Garrett continued:

“He’s just very generous. 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 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.”

McKenzie’s mother, Sukeena Gunner, explained that her son was about to leave a party in Venice, Illinois when a fight broke out. According to Illinois State Police, McKenzie was hit by a stray bullet and eventually died at a local hospital. The eighth grader was already becoming a star athlete with college scholarship offers. He was also picked to compete in the All-American All-Star Game in Canton, Ohio, during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction weekend. His sudden passing was truly a tragedy.

Good to know there’s athletes out there supporting the family in their time of grievance.