The parallels are uncanny.
Ezekiel Elliott is blazing a trail through similar scenery to that of another Cowboys rookie running back, a fellow who wound up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
No, we're not talking about Emmitt Smith, the Cowboys running back whom most younger fans associate with greatness. We're referring to Dallas' first and only other Hall of Fame running back.
Tony Dorsett.
"I've been impressed with Zeke from day one," Dorsett, 62, said Monday. It was just a day after Elliott increased his season rushing total to 1,005 yards - two yards shy of the franchise rookie record Dorsett holds.