Dalvin Cook earns another call-up after Dallas Cowboys debut made him feel like ‘a kid again’

The Dallas Cowboys elevated four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook off the practice squad for the second straight week, which will allow him to take the field Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.

Cook, 29, made his team and season debut last week in a loss to the 49ers . He gained 12 yards on six carries and helped Ezekiel Elliott shoulder running back duties while starter Rico Dowdle sat out with an illness.

Dowdle, Elliott and Cook are all available to play Sunday when the Cowboys (3-4) take on the Falcons (5-3).

Cook's hopeful he'll find more opportunities to prove he can still play close to the level that made him a star in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings from 2017 to '22. Toward the end of his tenure in Minnesota, Cook's statistics began to dip, and he averaged a career-worst 3.2 yards per carry last season with the New York Jets.

But after Cook signed with the Cowboys' practice squad in August, he said he felt rejuvenated.

Last week, after Cook waited two months for his chance to play, he said being back on the field made him "feel like I was a kid again."

"It was cool, man," Cook said. "I play for the Cowboys now, and it was different. Having the star, putting the jersey on and going out there with the guys, finally. It felt good."

Players can earn up to three elevations to play games while on the practice squad, and after that, the player must be added to the 53-man roster before he can suit up for action. This weekend marks Cook's second elevation.

The Cowboys rank last in the NFL with 3.4 yards per carry, but Cook said he expects the group of running backs will soon see better results.

"We work hard as shit here," Cook said. "It's just some games have been getting out of hand for us and we haven't had the at-bats at the plate to show what this running back room could be. We got some special talent in the room. We just gotta keep getting more opportunities."

Cook applied the same thought process to his individual performance as he aims to convince coaches he deserves more chances on game days.

"I just gotta keep working my tail off in practice and finish runs," Cook said. "Once I keep working, things are going to fall into place, man. It's a long year still. There's still a lot we can accomplish."