Dallas Cowboys cornerback Kaiir Elam pulled off an incredible “Lion King” celebration with a young fan following an interception of quarterback Dak Prescott on July 26 at training camp in Oxnard, California.
After Elam snagged an over the shoulder interception on a pass intended for Jalen Tolbert, he pulled a young boy in a Cowboys jersey out of the crowd and held him up — just like Simba — as his teammates celebrated around him.
Elam walked around with the boy held aloft for several moments before handing him back to his family.
Elam is in his first year with the Cowboys after he was traded from the Buffalo Bills on March 12 along with a 2025 sixth round pick in exchange for a 2026 seventh round pick and 2025 fifth round pick.
“After Kaiir Elam picked him off in practice, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott came over to talk to him,” Cowboys reporter Clarence Hill Jr. wrote on his official X account. “He asked Elam what he saw on the play in an attempt to learn from his mistake. Elam said he appreciated Prescott asking him about the play. He said trusted his instincts and made a play on the ball. Elam has had a strong two days so far.”
Social Media Reacts to Elam’s Great Celebration
Multiple angles of Elam’s spur of the moment celebration of the interception — his second of the day — only further made the moment spread like wildfire on social media.
“Kaair Elam continues to impress,” Dallas Morning News Cowboys reporter Joseph Hoyt wrote on his official X account. “He makes a great interception undercutting a deep pass to Jalen Tolbert. AND THEN HE GRABS A CHILD FROM THE SIDELINE AND LIFTS HIM UP LIKE SIMBA. Elam is having one heck of an offseason.”
Elam Playing on ‘Prove It’ Contract in 2025
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine thinks a vacuum at cornerback due to injuries could clear a path for Elam to become a “Breakout Candidate” for the Cowboys this season.
For Elam, it boil down to essentially being on a 1-year, $2.5 million “prove it” contract in 2025 after the Cowboys declined his $12.6 million fifth year option following the trade.
Elam was the No. 23 overall pick by the Bills in the 2022 NFL draft.
“Kaiir Elam’s time in Buffalo was disappointing,” Ballentine wrote on June 2. “The 2022 first-round pick had opportunities to emerge with the Bills and wasn’t able to take advantage of those opportunities. But sometimes a change of scenery can spark a career revival. Elam is going to have the opportunity to prove himself over the summer. Both Trevon Diggs and third-round pick Shavon Revel Jr. are working their way back from ACL injuries and Elam is already making plays in OTAs.”
While Elam has struggled during the regular season, he’s seemed like an elite player in the in the postseason through his first 3 seasons. He has 2 interceptions in 5 career playoff games, including the game-winning pick against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card Round following the 2023 season.
