Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys team captain Tyrone Crawford ain't apologizing for his role in a bar brawl last March ... telling reporters Thursday, "I handled the situation to the best of my abilities."

We broke the story, TC shoved, pushed and threw punches at bar security on March 15 in Panama City Beach, FL ... and in a video we obtained, you can see him straight-up mauling people.

In fact, we're told Crawford also got physical with AT LEAST two police officers as they tried to break up the scene.

But, Crawford -- who spoke with media for the first time since the incident after Cowboys practice Thursday -- didn't seem sorry for his actions, saying, "I did what I had to do as best I could."

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Crawford allegedly got into the whole fracas to help his brother at the bar ... and he's hoping when he eventually tells his side of the story to NFL investigators, they'll understand.

"I am going to let God take it," Crawford said. "I can’t speak on it too much. I am going to let God take it and handle everything, however it works out, it works out. Hopefully, they see my side."

Crawford was hit with a misdemeanor charge of affrays for the altercation ... but he reached a deal with prosecutors last month to close out the criminal case ahead of training camp.

We're told in exchange for completing an anger management assessment and keeping his nose clean for the next six months ... he'll have the charge dropped.

Extremely emotional moment at Cowboys camp Thursday ... head coach Jason Garrett fought back tears during his meeting with the media after learning of his friend's son's death.

Luke Laufenberg -- the 21-year-old son of ex-Cowboys QB Babe Laufenberg -- was diagnosed with Leukemia back in 2017 ... and he died Thursday after a 2-year-long battle with the disease.

Garrett addressed reporters shortly after learning the news ... and the scene was tough to watch.

Garrett was extremely emotional in trying to describe Laufenberg's son, saying, "You guys have heard me talk about fight a lot. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a better example of that in my life."

"What he’s gone through over the last couple of years, the spirit that he had every day, to battle through it, to always be thoughtful about the people in his life, ‘How’s my mom doing? How’s my dad doing? How’s my brother doing?’ Amazing."

Garrett and Babe's playing careers never crossed paths ... Jason started his Cowboys QB career in 1993 -- 3 years after Babe finished his time in Dallas.

But, the two have obviously gotten close over the years ... Jason's been the head coach of the 'Boys since 2010, while Babe's done work as the team's radio analyst for years.

Garrett didn't field any other questions from reporters during his news conference Thursday ... finishing his time at the podium by praising Luke for his courageous battle.

"It’s such a tragedy. It’s so hard to understand. But, I know I will and everybody who ever knew him will be forever inspired by the life that he lived.”

New hair ... don't care?!?

Seems Ezekiel Elliott is living by that mantra ... 'cause he's back in Cabo holding out from Cowboys camp with a fresh, new hairdo after Jerry Jones jokingly burned him earlier this week.

Of course, 24-year-old Zeke's been missing from Dallas practices all month, wanting a new deal ... and after his backup, Tony Pollard, killed it against the Rams on Saturday -- Jerry said, "Zeke who?!"

It was meant to be funny ... but Zeke wasn't laughing -- his agent told ESPN the comment was "disrespectful."

Now, Zeke's back in Cabo after briefly returning to Texas ... and he's sporting some new dreads while doing it!!!

Unclear if the haircut is a message (unlikely) ... but we do know one thing -- Zeke is serious about this holdout, and it seems he really might not play week 1 for the 'Boys.

But, hey, that haircut though ... #swaaaaaaaaaag!!!

Zeke is supposed to enter his 4th season in the NFL after being drafted by the Cowboys with the 4th pick of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Zeke is still under his rookie deal -- which is only slated to pay him $3.85 million in 2019.

Elliott is looking to be the highest-paid RB in the NFL -- and with Todd Gurley signing a 4-year, $57.5 million contract extension in 2018 ... he clearly wants Jerry Jones to open up that wallet!!!

Ezekiel Elliott says the security guard he pushed in a Las Vegas altercation demanded $500,000 in an attempt to extort him ... this according to police docs obtained by TMZ Sports.

The Dallas Cowboys star's attorneys say they were emailed a complete list of demands from 19-year-old Kyle Johnson and his father, Kelly Johnson, after Zeke shoved Kyle at the Electric Daisy Carnival last May.

Police docs show Kelly emailed Zeke's attorneys just days after the altercation with AT LEAST 14 things he wanted from the running back to stay quiet on the incident ... including $500,000 cash.

The list of demands featured a public apology from Elliott, a press conference with Elliott and Kyle, $25,000 for the junior college football team Kyle played for, and signed jerseys from Zeke, Amari Cooper and Dak Prescott.

The demands list also included -- among several other things -- tickets to Cowboys games (both home and road), Ohio State games and a meet and greet with Jerry Jones and his son.

Police docs show one of Elliott's attorneys responded to Kelly's email with a phone call ... and Kelly claims in that conversation the attorney told him "what [he] was doing was extortion."

According to the docs, Kelly said after that conversation he decided to take Kyle's story to the public ... allowing Kyle to do an interview with a Los Angeles TV station on May 28.

Kelly and Kyle eventually filed a criminal complaint against Elliott over the incident ... but according to the docs, prosecutors felt they could not move forward with charges against 24-year-old Elliott.

There's more ... in the docs, Kyle admits Elliott not only apologized to him after shoving him during the May incident, he gave him a hug and took a picture with him.

In an affidavit from Elliott in the docs, he echoes that story, saying, "I had no intention to push and/or harm or intimidate Kyle Johnson."

"After Kyle Johnson fell and I was finished speaking with the officers nearby, I immediately apologized to Kyle and he indicated to me that he was not hurt."

Elliott added, "We gave each other a hug and he asked me to take a picture with him, which I was happy to do as there was never any intention to harm or hurt Kyle."

We've reached out to Kelly regarding the docs, but so far, no word back yet.

As for Zeke's camp, when reached by phone Friday, they declined to comment on the matter.

Elliott is currently holding out from Cowboys camp seeking a new contract. His team kicks off the season on Sept. 8 against the New York Giants.

Ezekiel Elliott will NOT face criminal charges over his Las Vegas altercation with a security guard, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to police documents ... the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department met with prosecutors late last month -- and after reviewing all of the evidence in the case, prosecutors felt they could not move forward with charges against the Dallas Cowboys superstar.

We reached out to Zeke's camp for a comment on the matter, but they declined.

As we previously reported ... 19-year-old Kyle Johnson, who was working as a security guard, was knocked over a metal railing during a parking lot dispute on May 19 at the Electric Daisy Carnival.

The Cowboys running back was placed in handcuffs after the shove -- but the 24-year-old was NOT arrested because Johnson told the cops he did not want to press charges.

But, after Zeke was not suspended by the NFL for the incident ... Johnson decided to file a police report.

Cops spent most of July gathering evidence in the case ... but according to the police docs, they decided they will not be moving forward with charges and will close the case.

It's big news for Elliott ... he now has one less thing he to worry about while his contract holdout with the Cowboys pushes forward.

Move over, Jay Glazer ... there's a new NFL Insider now -- Jamie Foxx -- and he's telling TMZ Sports his sources say the Cowboys WILL get a deal done with Ezekiel Elliott!!!

In fact, when we got Jamie out at Delilah in L.A. ... he said people close to the Cowboys are telling him Jerry Jones is going to get deals done with Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper too!!!

Of course, the Cowboys are in contract talks with all three of their superstars ... with Zeke threatening to sit out games this season if he doesn't get a raise.

But, when we got Foxx -- who has spent time out at Cowboys camp in Oxnard, Calif. this summer -- he told us there's no need for fans to worry about any of it.

"I got the word, I got the underlying word," Foxx says, "that it's all the way, all the deals are being worked out. Look out, baby!"

Foxx also gave us his prediction for a breakout player in Dallas this year ... telling us a well-known tight end is going to raise some eyebrows.

Chris Johnson is sending a stern warning to Jerry Jones ... if ya let Ezekiel Elliott's contract holdout continue -- it could lead to the running back's career-worst year!!!

Of course, CJ2K would know that best ... the legendary RB says when he held out for all of training camp before the 2011 season -- it contributed to him having the worst season of his Titans career.

"You can train all you want to train, but until you're actually out there playing football and doing all those stuff and instant moves and stuff, you'll never be in football shape until you do it."

Johnson -- who waited until Sept. 1, 2011 to end his contract standoff with Tennessee brass -- says it took him 6 GAMES before he finally felt in football shape because of the layoff.

Chris still managed to get over 1,000 yards on the season, but barely ... logging just 1,047 and only 4 TDs.

CJ2K's advice to Jerry to make sure Zeke doesn't suffer the same fate in Dallas?

"If you're the Cowboys, you need to get him in right now."

Johnson also tells us he's a HUGE fan of Zeke's ... and says he wants the RB to continue the holdout until Jerry and the 'Boys pay him what he deserves nonetheless.

By the way, even though Johnson had a down season after his holdout ... it worked out pretty well for him financially -- he got the Titans to pay him $53.5 MILLION over 4 years!!!

Seems like Jerry's gonna have to AT LEAST hit that number for Zeke's new deal ... and it's obvious Chris thinks Jerry better get it done ASAP!!!

The Dallas Cowboys conspired with police to cover up info from a 2017 car crash that would have sidelined Ezekiel Elliott from a crucial NFL playoff game ... so says a new lawsuit obtained by TMZ Sports.

The suit stems from a January 11, 2017 car crash -- 4 days before the Cowboys played the Packers in an NFC Divisional Round game -- when Zeke slammed a GMC Yukon into a BMW 750 driven by Ronnie Hill on his way to the Cowboys practice facility.

Hill claims Zeke was obviously at fault because the running back was running late to practice and had "barreled through a red light" -- causing more than $33,000 in damage to Hill's vehicle. Hill claims he suffered "serious and permanent" injuries in the wreck.

Hill says the impact of the collision was so intense, the two vehicles were "wedged together" and they needed a tow truck to pull them apart.

At the time, the Frisco Police Dept. put out a statement describing the incident as a "minor vehicle crash" ... but Hill says that's a crock of BS.

In fact, Hill claims the Dallas Cowboys "conspired with the Frisco Police Dept. to cover up the severity of the accident to assure that Elliott's health would not be placed in question before their playoff game."

According to Hill's suit, "If anyone had actually reported the impact of the accident and had Elliott been examined he would have most likely been placed in concussion protocol and out for the Dallas Cowboys upcoming playoff game."

In his suit, filed by attorney Larry Friedman, Hill claims Dallas Cowboys running backs coach Gary Brown had raced to the scene of the accident and told Hill, "We will take care of everything."

Hill claims the Cowboys did NOT take care of anything -- and he's suing both Zeke and the Cowboys for $20 MILLION in damages.

By the way, the Cowboys ended up LOSING the playoff game 34 to 31 ... but Zeke played great, rushing for 125 yards on 22 carries.

We reached out to the Frisco PD and the Dallas Cowboys for comment -- so far, no word from either side. A rep for Elliott had no comment.

We spoke to Hill's attorney, Larry Friedman, who tells us, "Ezekiel Elliott believes he's above the law. He doesn't follow any rules. As a citizen and a member of our community he has a duty to obey the law and act responsibly, especially while driving a motor vehicle."

Friedman adds, "There are no exemptions for running backs or members of the Dallas Cowboys."

"He has admitted liability in this case but refuses to take responsibility as he has refused to take responsibility on so many other occasions when he has disobeyed the law."

"My client is suing for compensation for his injuries and wants his day in court."

O.J. Simpson is issuing a stern warning to Jerry Jones ... saying straight-up the Cowboys owner better open the checkbook for Ezekiel Elliott -- OR ELSE!!!!!

... or else it won't result in a Super Bowl. Definitely not anything more serious than that.

Of course, Zeke is in contract dispute with Jerry and the 'Boys, wanting a significant raise despite only being in Year 4 of his 5-year rookie contract.

Things between the two sides haven't exactly gone swimmingly ... Zeke is actually in Mexico right now instead of training with his teammates in Oxnard, California.

O.J. says that better change soon, or Jerry won't be winning a Super Bowl this year ... saying, "Without him, you may not even make the playoffs!"

Simpson also says the same thing goes for the Chargers' brass out in L.A. ... telling Dean Spanos he better pay Melvin Gordon too!!

O.J. says both Gordon and Elliott should holdout for as long as possible ... 'cause he says the only thing they have look forward to after their playing days is knee pain.

For real, O.J. even shows off his nasty knee surgery scar -- and it's gross!!

Prosecutors have finally hit Darren McFadden with charges in his wild Whataburger case ... charging the ex-NFL star with 2 misdemeanors that carry jail time if he's convicted.

McFadden was arrested back on January 21 after cops say the 31-year-old was asleep at the wheel of his 2019 GMC Yukon in the drive-thru at a Whataburger in Texas.

Officials say during the incident, McFadden resisted officers ... and it all ended up with the ex-running back's driver's side and passenger windows being smashed in.

Now, TMZ Sports has learned prosecutors have finally hit Darren with charges for the altercation -- charging him with resisting arrest and DUI with a BAC of greater than or equal to .15.

Both counts are defined as Class A misdemeanors in Texas ... which means McFadden is facing up to 2 YEARS behind bars and $8,000 in fines if he's convicted.

McFadden is due in court in October to face the charges.

Darren was a superstar at Arkansas before the Oakland Raiders drafted him with the 4th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Tyrone Crawford can head to Dallas Cowboys camp without the worry of a court case hanging over his head ... TMZ Sports has learned he's a cut deal to get his bar brawl charge dropped.

We broke the story, the defensive end wrecked several bouncers at a Panama City Beach, FL bar on March 15. In crazy video we obtained ... you can see the 6'4", 290-pounder mauling people.

We also learned later in the night Crawford shoved at least TWO officers when they were in the process of making an arrest.

But, Tyrone was only hit with a misdemeanor charge of affrays for the altercation ... and court records now show he entered into a pre-trial diversion program to get the charge dropped.

Unclear what the specifics of the deal are ... but it usually means Crawford will have to complete classes and/or pay fines and fees to uphold his end of the bargain.

It's good news for Crawford -- the Cowboys begin training camp in just EIGHT days ... but Tyrone ain't completely out of the woods yet. The NFL still has to make a ruling regarding their investigation into the incident.

Crawford is one of the Cowboys' most unsung players ... as a team captain in 2018, he started 15 games and recorded 5.5 sacks. He's expected to be a key player for Dallas this season.

Here's video of Dak Prescott lying to our face (though we understand why) ... telling TMZ Sports he doesn't know much about the criminal case involving his teammate, Ezekiel Elliott. 

Suuuuure ... 

The Dallas Cowboys QB insists we know more than he does when it comes to the security guard who's pressing charges against Elliott ... though that's hard to believe considering Dak and Zeke are BFFs. 

Prescott was out at Avra in Beverly Hills on Sunday night (one of the hottest restaurants in town) where we asked how Elliott was holding up after 19-year-old Kyle Johnson filed a criminal complaint against the RB for knocking him to the ground at the Electric Daisy Carnival. 

"You know more than me," Prescott repeatedly told us ... "Wasting your time."

Here's what we DO know ... Johnson went to the Las Vegas Metro Police Dept. this weekend over the May 19 altercation with Elliott. Unclear exactly what he's alleging, but it seems pretty obvious he's pursuing an assault charge. 

Elliott's legal team claims Johnson doesn't really care about justice -- insisting the 19-year-old is simply trying to extort the NFL star for money. 

Ezekiel Elliott is now at the center of a criminal probe after the security guard he pushed down changed his mind and pressed charges against the NFL superstar.

The guard, Kyle Johnson, recently filed a criminal complaint with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. It's unclear what exactly he's alleging, or if Zeke's been taken into custody yet ... but his camp is already pushing back against this latest development ... claiming extortion.

The running back's lawyers, Scott Rosenblum and Jason Lampert, issued a statement Saturday saying, "Over the course of the past several weeks, Mr. Elliott has been the target of extortion." They added, "Kyle Johnson’s filing of a criminal complaint against Mr. Elliott in connection with the Las Vegas incident is the latest attempt to do so. Mr. Elliott and it his team are in contact with all of the proper authorities and are fully cooperating with them in their investigations."

TMZ broke the story ... Zeke shoved the security guard down to the ground at EDC earlier this year after getting into an argument with a woman he was there partying with. He was handcuffed by police at the time, but was NOT arrested because Johnson didn't press charges.

Seems like he's had a change of heart now -- despite saying he'd let the whole thing go if he got a legit apology from the Cowboys star. He'd claimed that Zeke's initial apology was BS, saying it wasn't sincere and that eye-contact wasn't made.

The NFL will NOT suspend Ezekiel Elliott for knocking a security guard to the ground during a May 19 incident caught on video at a music festival in Las Vegas. 

The Dallas Cowboys running back met with NFL commish Roger Goodell on Tuesday and issued a statement essentially taking responsibility for acting inappropriately during the incident. 

And now, it seems the apology worked. 

The NFL says the league "conducted a comprehensive investigation that included interviews with multiple witnesses, including security personnel and others with direct involvement, as well as a review of documentary and other information."

"On Tuesday, as part of the review, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell met with Mr. Elliott to reinforce the standards of conduct expected of him and the consequences for failing to meet those standards."

"Mr. Elliott acknowledged that he demonstrated poor judgment and committed to make better choices in the future. He volunteered to take advantage of the resources available to help him continue to grow personally."

"Commissioner Goodell determined there was no violation of the personal conduct policy and no further action is warranted."

As we previously reported, Elliott used his body to knock 19-year-old Kyle Johnson to the ground during a dispute in the parking lot captured on video and published by TMZ Sports. 

Ezekiel Elliott just finished his meeting with Roger Goodell over his Las Vegas altercation ... and the Cowboys superstar appears to be taking full responsibility for the incident, saying, "I made a poor decision."

"Earlier today, I met with the Commissioner to share with him what occurred in Las Vegas and what I have learned from that incident," Elliott said.

"I've worked hard to make better decisions and to live up to the high standards that are expected of me. I failed to do that here and I made a poor decision."

We broke the story, Zeke was detained by police at the EDC music festival on May 19 after knocking down a 19-year-old security guard. 

At the time, the security guard did not wish to press charges -- but has recently said he wants a genuine apology from Elliott or else he will consider his legal options. 

Elliott seemed to give Johnson that after the Goodell meeting, writing, "I apologized to Kyle Johnson at the time and I meant it."

"I need to work harder to ensure I do not put myself in compromised situations in the future. I am rededicating myself to use all of the resources that the league has made available. But in the end, it is up to me and I am determined not to be in this position again."

Ezekiel Elliott will come face to face with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday to discuss the physical altercation in Vegas that captured on video, according to ESPN. 

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the 23-year-old Dallas Cowboys running back was detained by police at the EDC music festival on May 19 after knocking down a 19-year-old security guard. 

At the time, the security guard did not wish to press charges -- but has recently said he wants a genuine apology from Elliott or else he will consider his legal options. 

Elliott is no stranger to Goodell -- he was suspended for 6 games in 2017 for violating the league's personal conduct policy stemming from a domestic violence investigation involving an ex-GF. 

Elliott was never charged with a crime in that case -- and maintains his innocence -- but NFL investigators believe his actions constituted a violation of the policy and hit him with the punishment.