Emmitt James Smith III (born May 15, 1969) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. He is the league's all-time leading rusher, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs of all time.
Smith grew up in Pensacola, Florida, and became the second-leading rusher in American high school football history while playing for Escambia High School. Smith played three years of college football for the Florida Gators, setting several school rushing records. After being named a unanimous All-American in 1989, Smith chose to forgo his senior year of eligibility and play professionally.
The Cowboys selected Smith in the first round of the 1990 NFL draft with the 17th overall pick. During his long professional career, he rushed for 18,355 yards, breaking the record formerly held by Walter Payton. He also holds the record for career rushing touchdowns with 164. Smith is the only running back to ever win a Super Bowl championship, the NFL Most Valuable Player award, the NFL rushing crown, and the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award all in the same season (1993). He is also one of four running backs to lead the NFL in rushing three or more consecutive seasons, joining Steve Van Buren, Jim Brown, and Earl Campbell. Smith led the league in rushing and won the Super Bowl in the same year three times (1992, 1993, and 1995) when to that point it had never been done. Smith is also one of only two non-kickers in NFL history to score more than 1,000 career points (the other being Jerry Rice). Smith was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Smith played 13 seasons with the Cowboys and two with the Arizona Cardinals. While playing for Dallas, Smith plus quarterback Troy Aikman and wide receiver Michael Irvin were known as "The Triplets," and led their team to three Super Bowl wins during the 1990s.
Early life
Smith was born in Pensacola, Florida, the son of Mary J. Smith and Emmitt James Smith Jr. At the age of eight, he played his first organized football game on a team that was sponsored by the Salvation Army. He attended Escambia High School in Pensacola, where he played high school football and ran track for the Escambia Gators. During Smith's high school football career, Escambia won two state football championships, and Smith rushed for 106 touchdowns and 8,804 yards, which was the second most yardage in the history of American high school football at the time. Emmitt rushed for over 100 yards in 45 of the 49 games he started for Escambia (including the last 28 in a row) and finished with a 7.8 yards per carry average. Twice, he broke the 2,000-yard rushing mark in a season. In track & field, Smith competed as a sprinter and was a member of the 4 × 100 m (42.16 s) relay squad.
For his efforts, Smith was named the 1986 national high school player of the year by several publications and organizations, including USA Today, Parade Magazine, and Gatorade. In 2007, twenty years after Smith graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) named Smith to its All-Century Team and recognized him as the Florida high school football "Player of the Century."
Despite his accomplishments and accolades, some college recruiting analysts opined that he was too small and slow to succeed in major college football when he signed to play for the University of Florida. Recruiting expert Max Emfinger didn't list Smith among the top 50 high school running backs in his high school class and opined that, "Emmitt Smith is a lugger, not a runner. He's not fast. He can't get around the corner. When he falls flat on his face, remember where you heard it first."
College career
1987 season Smith accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he played for coach Galen Hall's Gators for three seasons He did not start the first two games of his college career in the fall of 1987, but made the most of his opportunities in a second-week rout of Tulsa in which he gained 109 yards on just ten carries, including a 66-yard touchdown run. That performance earned him a spot in the starting lineup the following week in the Gators' SEC opener against Alabama at Legion Field.
In his first collegiate start, Smith promptly broke Florida's 57-year-old all-time single game rushing record held by Red Bethea, carrying 39 times for 224 yards and two touchdowns as the Gators upset the Crimson Tide. Smith went on to break the 1,000-yard barrier in the seventh game of his freshman season, the fastest any running back had ever broken that barrier to begin his college career. He finished the season with 229 carries for 1,341 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was named SEC and National Freshman of the Year, and was ninth in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy. He earned the most votes for an underclassman with the eight finishing ahead of him being seniors.
1988 season The Gators got off to a 5–0 start in 1988 with Smith averaging over 120 rushing yards per game. However, during the sixth contest against Memphis State in mid-October, he was sidelined with a sprained knee while starting quarterback Kyle Morris broke his finger, leading to an upset loss. Smith was unable to return to action for a month, during which Florida lost four games in a row and did not score a touchdown in 14 consecutive quarters of play, including a 16–0 loss to Auburn that is their most recent shutout to date.
Smith returned to the lineup in mid-November and Florida won two of its final three games, highlighted by a victory in the All-American Bowl in which he ran 55-yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage and was named the game's MVP. Smith rushed for 988 yards on the year (not including the bowl game) at 110 yards per game, the lowest totals of his college career.
1989 season Smith stayed healthy throughout his junior season in 1989 and found success again. He finished the campaign with Florida records for rushing yards in a season (1,599), rushing yards in a single game (316 versus New Mexico in October 1989), longest rushing play (96 yards against Mississippi State in 1988), career rushing yards (3,928), career rushing yards per game (126.7), and career rushing touchdowns (36), among many others. In all, Smith owned 58 school records at the conclusion of his Florida career despite playing on Florida teams with virtually no passing game, which made him the focal point of opposing defenses.
At the conclusion of his junior season in 1989, Smith was named a first-team All-SEC selection for the third year and SEC Player of the Year, was a unanimous first-team All-American, and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy balloting.2012 NCAA Football Records Book, Award Winners, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, pp. 9 & 14 (2012). Retrieved September 14, 2012. In his final game in the Freedom Bowl, he had few rushing attempts after Florida fell behind Washington early and was forced to throw.
Days later on January 1, 1990, Steve Spurrier was introduced as the Gators' new head coach. Smith, concerned about his potential role in Spurrier's reportedly pass-first offense, decided to forgo his senior year at Florida and enter the NFL draft, which for the first time in history allowed juniors to be eligible. Smith returned to the university during the NFL off-season and completed his bachelor's degree in 1996.
Smith was subsequently inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1999, the Gator Football Ring of Honor and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006. As part of a series of articles written for The Gainesville Sun in 2006, he was recognized as the No. 3 all-time player among the top 100 from the first 100 years of the Gators football program.
Professional career
Dallas Cowboys
1990 season In the 1990 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys considered drafting linebacker James Francis with their first round selection, but after he was taken by the Cincinnati Bengals, the Cowboys focused on improving their running game when Smith started dropping, because despite his collegiate success, some NFL teams still felt that Smith was too small and slow for the pro game. The Cowboys traded up with the Pittsburgh Steelers moving from the 21st to the 17th pick, in exchange for a third round draft choice (#81-Craig Veasey), to select Smith in the first round. He missed all of the preseason after having the longest holdout by a rookie in franchise history. After a quiet start to his professional career, he scored his first NFL touchdown on a two-yard carry in Week 3 against Washington. In Week 5, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he had 23 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown for his first game going over 100 yards in the 14–10 victory. In Week 11, he had four receptions for 117 yards in a 24–21 win over the Los Angeles Rams. In Week 12, he had 23 carries for 132 yards and two touchdowns against Washington in a 27–17 victory. He had 24 carries for 103 yards and four touchdowns in a 41–10 victory over the Phoenix Cardinals in Week 15. He started 15 games and rushed for 937 yards and 11 touchdowns, while being named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and receiving Pro Bowl honors. He was named to the 1990 NFL All-Rookie Team.
1991 season In Week 4 of the 1991 season, Smith had 23 carries for 182 yards and two touchdowns in a 17–9 win over the Phoenix Cardinals. At the time, the 182 yards marked a career high for Smith. In Week 10, he had three rushing touchdowns against the Phoenix Cardinals in a 27–7 win. In Week 17 against the Atlanta Falcons, he had 32 carries for 160 yards and two touchdowns in a 31–27 win. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for December 1991. In the 1991 season, he had 1,563 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. He also clinched the first of four rushing titles, after tallying 160 yards against the Atlanta Falcons in the season finale. He earned Pro Bowl honors for the 1991 season. He made his postseason debut in the Wild Card Round against the Chicago Bears. He had 26 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown in the 17–13 win.
1992 season To open the 1992 season, Smith had 27 carries for 140 yards and a touchdown in a 23–10 win over Washington. In Week 8, he had 29 carries for 152 yards and three touchdowns in a 28–13 win over the Los Angeles Raiders. In the following game, he had 30 carries for 163 yards in a 20–10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. In the next game, a 37–3 win over the Detroit Lions, he had three rushing touchdowns. In Week 16, he had 24 carries for 174 yards and two touchdowns in a 41–17 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Smith was named NFC Player of the Month for both November and December 1992. In 1992, he set the Cowboys' single-season franchise record and won the rushing title with 1,713 yards. He also became the first player to win the league's rushing title and the Super Bowl in the same season. He earned Pro Bowl honors for the third consecutive season. He was named first team All-Pro for the first time. In the Divisional Round against the Philadelphia Eagles, he had 25 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown in the 34–10 win. In the NFC Championship, he had 24 carries for 114 yards and a rushing touchdown to with a receiving touchdown in the 30–20 win over the San Francisco 49ers. In Super Bowl XXVII, he had 22 carries for 108 yards and one touchdown in the 52–17 win over the Buffalo Bills.
1993 season