COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Former Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott has offered to pay for the funeral of Jaylon McKenzie, an eighth grade football player who was killed by a stray bullet in St. Louis on Saturday night. Elliott — a native of St. Louis — reached out to the family and volunteered to pay for the expenses. The 15-year-old was headed for a bright future on the field and already had been offered scholarships by Missouri and Illinois. Jaylon’s mother, Sukeena Gunner, spoke highly of Elliott in an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, saying that he was an idol of her son. “For him to reach out to me was unbelievable," Gunner said. "Jaylen loved Ezekiel Elliott. He talked about him all the time. When Ezekiel was playing, he would sit in front of the TV. His eyes were glued to the TV, watching him. Just for him to reach out to me and help me in this difficult time leaves me speechless.” A GoFundMe page has already been started to help the family and has reached almost half of its $3,000 goal. Get Buckeyes Insider texts in your phone from Doug Lesmerises: Cut through the clutter of social media and communicate directly with the award-winning OSU football reporter, just like you would with your friends. There’s a free trial for the month of May. Sign up now for OSU insight in your phone every day.<doc-sep>GRAPEVINE, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott will pay for the funeral expenses of Jaylon McKenzie, a promising eighth-grade football player who was killed by a stray bullet as he left a party near St. Louis on Saturday night. Elliott, who grew up in St. Louis, reached out to the family shortly after the tragedy. The Cowboys confirmed Elliott's gesture, but the running back wanted to keep the matter between him and McKenzie's family. "Zeke is really a special guy," coach Jason Garrett said Wednesday at the team's sponsors' golf tournament at 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. "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, said her son was trying to leave a party in Venice, Illinois, when a fight broke out. According to Illinois State Police, McKenzie was struck by a stray bullet and died at a local hospital. A 15-year-old girl was also hit and remains in critical condition. McKenzie, who was already receiving college scholarship offers as an eighth-grader, had been selected to compete in the All-American All-Star Game in Canton, Ohio, during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction weekend.<doc-sep>INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 16: Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) warms up on the field before the NFL game between the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys on December 16, 2018, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Dallas Cowboys running back reportedly offered to pay for the funeral of eighth-grade football phenom Jaylon McKenzie who was murdered on Saturday night. Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott reached out to the family of 14-year-old football phenom Jaylon McKenzie to cover the funeral expenses after he was murdered at a party. The news was first reported by 105.3 The Fan in Dallas radio host Ben Rogers and later confirmed by FanSided. McKenzie was shot and killed on Saturday after attending a party in Venice, IL near the Illinois-Missouri border. McKenzie reportedly left the party when a fight broke out and he was struck by a stray bullet outside. McKenzie had dreams of playing in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams or L.A Chargers. The Belleville, Illinois native was featured in Sports Illustrated’s Future Issue and had offers to from Missouri and Illinois. This is a touching gesture by Elliott who grew up in the area. Elliott was born in St. Louis at St. John’s Mercy (now Mercy Hospital). The family moved to Alton, Illinois when he was three, moved back to St. Louis when he was nine and back to Alton when he was 12. He later went to high school at John Burroughs School in Ladue, Missouri before attending Ohio State. Elliott was once in the same shoes as McKenzie, a young promising athlete with a bright future in football. This tragedy moved him to open his heart and help a grieving family. The Cowboys have raved about the growth and maturity shown by Elliott in recent months. Reaching out to the family in this difficult time to cover the funeral expenses is a moving example of just that. Hopefully, it provided a small bit of comfort for the family as they mourn the loss of a talented young man. Hopefully, Elliott will be able to establish a longstanding relationship with the family and continue to be of support for them.<doc-sep>
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott will pay for the funeral expenses for Jaylon McKenzie, an eighth-grade football phenom, who was killed on Saturday in Venice, Ill., according to multiple reports. Elliott is also from the St. Louis area, and according to reports, he contacted the family to offer his condolences and offered to pay for the service. "For him to reach out to me was unbelievable," his mother, Sukeena Gunner told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Jaylen loved Ezekiel Elliott. He talked about him all the time. When Ezekiel was playing, he would sit in front of the TV. His eyes were glued to the TV, watching him. Just for him to reach out to me and help me in this difficult time leaves me speechless." The news was first reported by 105.3 The Fan's Mike Fisher and Justina Coronel of KSDK-TV in St. Louis. Gunner told KSDK that three other NFL players have also reached out. McKenzie attended Central Junior High in Belleville, Ill, and was featured in Sports Illustrated's Future Issue in November 2018. He was one of six teenagers included in the piece. McKenzie told SI his dream was to make the NFL, and he already had offers from Missouri and Illinois. The 14-year-old was shot when a stray bullet hit him as he walked outside to leave a party, Gunner, told CNN. A 15-year-old girl is also in critical condition. "I just started screaming," Gunner told CNN. "I just prayed and asked the Lord not to take my baby. ... It's very hard. It's still like a bad dream, like I'm gonna wake up in the morning and my baby's gonna be smiling at me asking for something to eat like he always does."