Elliott looks to emulate Marshall Faulk entering sophomore season

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott submitted one of the all-time great rookie seasons last year. For an encore, Elliott is seeking to emulate one of the best running backs in NFL history.

Elliott won the rushing title, scampering for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns as Dallas secured the top seed in the NFC with a 13-3 record. The Cowboys' standout also recorded 32 receptions for 363 yards and another score, earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.

Ahead of his second season, Elliott is trying to encapsulate the best of Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, comparing himself and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott to Faulk and his then-Rams QB Kurt Warner.

"One of the guys I looked up to growing up playing football was Marshall Faulk. You hear stories about him about how he was kind of like a second quarterback back there with Kurt Warner," Elliott said on "The Doomsday Podcast." "So this offseason, I’ve just been focusing on kind of learning the offense outside of roles. I’m just kind of being able to be back there and be helpful to Dak (Prescott) and just kind of … learning what everyone else is doing and how I fit into my job."

There's certainly room for Elliott to improve as a receiver and he plans to embody Faulk's all-around game next year.

"Just when you follow Marshall Faulk’s career you see in his earlier career he was definitely involved in the passing game, but he was more of a guy who kind of got grinded down. He had a lot of carries and really rushed for great numbers when he was in Indianapolis, and then kind of as he got older, he grew more as a player. I just like the fact that he was a guy who was great in all aspects of the game."

It'll be difficult for Elliott to best his excellent rookie season, but the 21-year-old is singularly focused on becoming the best running back of his generation.