FRISCO, Texas - It seems Ezekiel Elliott is keeping his lawyers busy. The Dallas Cowboys running back is also fighting a speeding ticket, FOX4 has learned.
Court records show a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper stopped him in Frisco in April for going 30 miles over the speed limit on the Dallas North Tollway.
He was given a speeding ticket for going 100 miles per hour in a 70 mile per hour zone. The court records show his attorney is appealing it.
Meanwhile, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones addressed Elliott's latest incident on Tuesday. Jones was speaking at The Star in Frisco to mark a construction milestone for Baylor Scott and White’s new facility there. He said he doesn't take the allegations lightly and even compared talking to players like he would his children -- letting them know that there are consequences for their actions.
“I know that and I can say first hand that developing an awareness of where you are with the visibility that is involved today is in and of itself a learning and evolving thing. And people who have been in the public eye for years and years are having to rethink about how they are and how they approach the public eye," Jones said. "As you well know because of his style and personality, he's like a rock star wherever he goes in terms of attention. And certainly, anybody that’s experienced that knows that takes some getting used to. You have to learn many aspects of that. So certainly Zeke is evolving and needing to learn how to deal with the media and social media the way it is today."
Jones said he has some details about what happened and he is waiting to get more before he makes any further comments.
Dallas police are trying to determine if Elliott punched someone at Clutch in the city’s Uptown district on Sunday night. Video from TMZ shows 30-year-old Daryl Ibeneme on the floor with a broken nose then being treated by paramedics.
One patron told police Elliott hit the Ibeneme. But a friend of the victim said the running back was not around when they found him on the floor.
Police said Elliott was gone by the time officers arrive after the disturbance. So far no complaints or charges have been filed.
This makes the fourth notable incident for Elliott during his short NFL career.
He is still waiting for the NFL to conclude a separate domestic violence investigation. That involved a former girlfriend who accused him last year in Columbus, Ohio. Police investigated the claim and did not file charges, but he is still subject to possible discipline by the NFL.
Chris Lewis is an attorney and former agent with experience dealing with high profile cases involving athletes.
"In a court of law, you a have the presumption of innocence. You don't necessarily have the presumption of innocence in the court of public opinion," he said. "And these players are not only worried about their careers, they are worried about their perception within their own club. They are worried about their perception in the NFL. And many of these players derive a lot of the income from their marketability."
Jones had one universal message for all of his players as the season approaches.
"Your actions impact an entire team. It impacts an entire fan base," he said. "Try to think about your activities when you're involved in them."
Despite the negative attention on some of his players for their off-the-field decisions, Jones said he doesn’t think the team will be distracted on the field. Cowboys training camp opens on Monday in Oxnard, California.