Rookies toss fun into Cowboys’ serious pursuit of Super Bowl

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Ezekiel Elliott pelted fellow rookie Dak Prescott with straw wrappers and a spitball , and the Dallas quarterback tried to get his teammate to move along with an offer of candy.

Not that Prescott is innocent in such exchanges when reporters surround the lockers of these road-trip roommates. He’s been known to toss candy at Elliott when the new star running back of the Cowboys is answering questions.

Sure, Elliott’s the one who jumped into a jumbo Salvation Army red kettle during a game, drawing a penalty. But Prescott isn’t afraid to have a little fun with these first-year sensations trying to lead a famed franchise to its first Super Bowl in 21 years.

They’re rubbing off on 14th-year tight end Jason Witten, too.

“Just energy,” said Prescott, whose playoff debut with the NFC-leading Cowboys (13-3) will be Jan. 15 at home. “If he’s got it, I’m going to have it. If I’ve I got it, he’s going to pick it up from me. Kind of just giving each other energy, giving this team energy. And having fun, being able to separate fun and business.”

Elliott is clearly the ringleader, thus the kettle stunt and his voracious consumption of cereal in a team-produced video, an exaggeration of the “feed me” gesture that Elliott flashes every time he gets a first down.

When Prescott scores a touchdown, he doesn’t do much beyond pointing skyward in honor of his late mother, who died of cancer when he was at Mississippi State. And when Elliott told his quarterback before the game against Tampa Bay that he was pondering the kettle jump, Prescott steered clear of giving him a yay or a nay.

Does Prescott have a class clown…