Last night during the Dallas Cowboys’ showdown with the Tampa Bay Bucs, Cowboys’ running back Ezekiel Elliott set a new franchise record for scoring the most touchdowns by a rookie, and celebrated in a uniquely holiday-inspired way: By jumping into a large Salvation Army kettle on display near the sidelines.
The referees weren’t very big fans of his stunt, penalizing him for unsportsmanlike conduct, but, they seem to be the only ones that had an issue with it. The NFL said it would not fine Elliot for the celebration, and the Cowboys’ ownership was happy that the organization got some attention. Elliot explained to ESPN after the game, “They’re one of our biggest partners, so I had to show them a little bit of love.”
The Salvation Army, which collects donations in red kettles outside of stores during the holidays to provide meals for those in need, seemed to enjoy the attention on Twitter, posting several clips and photos from the stunt.
The last tweet they posted before the touchdown celebration was a clip of a kettle worker, with the Bible verse Psalms 72:11: “May all kings fall down before Him, all nations serve Him.”
