Emmitt Smith

At 54 years old, Emmitt Smith has this physical status:

Emmitt James Smith III (born May 15, 1969) is a former college and professional football running back who played in the National Football League for 15 seasons as a leader rusher during his tenure in the league in the 1990s and 2000s. When playing for Escambia High School, Smith grew up in Pensacola, Florida, and became the second-leading rusher in American high school football history.

Smith then attended the University of Florida, where he set many school rushing records during his three-year college career with the Florida Gators.

Smith, a unanimous All-American in 1989, has chosen to forego his senior year of eligibility and play professionally.

He returned to college and completed his education, graduating from the University of Florida in 1996. In the first round of the 1990 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected Smith.

He led the NFL's all-time rushing leader with 18,355 yards, breaking the record held by Walter Payton, and he appeared for three Super Bowl-winning Dallas Cowboys teams.

With 164, he also holds the record for career rushing touchdowns.

Smith is the only one back to win a Super Bowl championship, the NFL Most Valuable Player award, the NFL rush crown, and the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award were all awarded in the same year (1993).

Steve Van Buren, Jim Brown, and Earl Campbell are among the four running backs to lead the NFL in rushing three or more seasons in a row.

Smith led the league in rushing and triumphed the Super Bowl three times (1992, 1993, and 1995), when it had never been attempted before.

Smith is also one of only two non-kickers in NFL history to score more than 1,000 points (the other being Jerry Rice).

Smith was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Smith spent thirteen seasons with the Cowboys and two with the Arizona Cardinals.

As youth, Dallas, Smith plus quarterback Troy Aikman, and wide receiver Michael Irvin were nicknamed "The Triplets" and their squad won three Super Bowl championships in the 1990s.

Early years

Smith was born in Pensacola, Florida, the son of Mary J. Smith and Emmitt James Smith, Jr., and was playing his first organized football game for a Salvation Army squad at the age of eight. He attended Escambia High School in Pensacola, where he competed high school football and ran for the Escambia Gators. Escambia won two state football championships, while Smith rushed for 106 touchdowns and 8,804 yards during Smith's time as a high school footballer. In 45 of the 49 games he played for Escambia (including the last 28 in a row) and ended with a 7.8 yards per carry average. He passed the 2,000-yard mark in a season twice. Smith competed as a sprinter and was a member of the 4 100 m (42.16 s) relay team in track & field, and was a member of the 4 100 m (42.16 s) relay team.

Smith was named the USA Today and Parade magazine high school player of the year for 1986. The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) named Smith as the "Player of the Century" in Florida in 2007, 20 years after he graduated from high school.

Despite his success and accolades, several college recruiting analysts agreed that he was too young and too slow to play in major college football when he signed to play for the University of Florida. Max Emfinger didn't put Smith in 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 quick. He can't get around the corner. If he falls flat on his face, remember where you heard it first."

Life after football

Smith and his wife established Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities in 2002, with the aim of "seeking a world where children have the tools necessary to realize their full potential."

Smith began as a studio analyst on NFL Network's show, NFL Total Access, in September 2005.

Smith and his long-time colleagues Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin were inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor on September 19, 2005, halftime of the Cowboys-Redskins game (broadcast on Monday Night Football).

Smith was a judge at the Miss Universe 2006 pageant on July 23, 2006.

Smith won the third season of Dancing with the Stars with professional dancer Cheryl Burke in the fall of 2006. Smith was praised for his "natural charisma" and for his "natural charisma," and Burke was given credit for assisting Smith while still allowing him to improvise some moves.

Smith, Chris Berman, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, and Chris Mortensen joined ESPN on March 12, 2007, becoming a studio analyst for the NFL pre-game coverage. However, he was barred from this coverage for the 2008 season. Rather, he appeared on SportsCenter on Sunday mornings during the NFL season. Every week on Monday Night Countdown, Steve Young and Stuart Scott appear on the Monday Night Football site. His deal was not renewed for the 2009 season.

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Smith was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010, his first year of eligibility.

Smith flipped the coin at the start of Super Bowl XLIV between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints on February 7, 2010.

Smith appeared on ESPN's Homecoming with Rick Reilly in June 2010 for his high school alma mater, Escambia High School in Pensacola, Florida. In October 2010, he was inducted into the Escambia High School Sports Hall of Fame at halftime of an EHS football game, alongside former Seattle Mariners third baseman Jim Presley and several other EHS alumni.

Smith converted underutilized parcels in densely populated areas into commercially viable buildings anchored by national retail giants in 2005. He joined Roger Staubach, the founder and CEO of Staubach Co., to create Smith/Cypress Partners LLP, a real estate development firm specializing in converting underutilized parcels in densely populated areas.

Smith aided Mervyn's, a California-based department store chain, in securing a $45 million, 230,000-square-foot (21,000 m2) project in Phoenix in his first deal.

Smith has several other proposals in the works as a result of access to $50 million in capital. He has written a letter of intention to build a 65-acre (260,000-m2) site near northwest Fort Worth, a densely populated yet underserved area (it was previously a Masonic lodge), and he is currently negotiating for the rights to another potential project in southeastern Fort Worth.

Smith intends to build a complex of up to 600,000 square feet (56,000 m2) of retail space on one of the Phoenix properties, which is more than double the size of the Phoenix one. "There's a lot of demand for top-quality stores in those regions, and I know how the prices are reduced," Smith said before lunch. "I'm not an engineer." I'm not a builder. And I'm still learning the jargon. I'm sure of contracts, but the only way to grow is to be in the middle of the agreements.

Smith/Cypress is a joint venture (Smith owns 51%) with Cypress Equities, Roger Staubach's real estate services company's retail development arm. Smith began to wonder more about real estate early in his playing career. Staubach, the first skeptic, told Smith that if he were sincere, he'd spend some time in his company's offices in the spring and summer. Smith did just that, spending the off-season at Staubach Co.'s headquarters in Dallas. Staubach founded the firm in the late 1970s to locate and negotiate office and retail space for clients. The privately held company had transactions totaling $26 billion and 835 million square feet (77,600,000 m2) in 2006.

Smith's company began expanding around the country, including into New York City in 2014.

Smith also co-founded ESmith Legacy, a Baltimore-based firm that specializes in commercial real estate development and investment management. He serves as both the Board's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

In 2007, he appeared on How I Met Your Mother, where he joked about Super Bowls. "What is more important than the Super Bowl?" Barney Stinson said. Dance, my friend, dance."

Smith finished in the first round of the 2011 National Heads-Up Poker Championship, defeating David Williams in the first round and losing in the second round to Andrew Robl.

In its fifteenth season as one of the "All-Stars" contestants, he returned to Dancing with the Stars. Smith had Cheryl Burke as his professional dance partner once more. During the ninth week of the competition, they were disqualified.

Smith joined founder and president Ben Davis of The Gents Place, an ultra-premium men's grooming and lifestyle salon established in Frisco, Texas, in 2016. The company has expanded to include lifestyle clubs in Dallas and Southlake, as well as Leawood, Kansas.

Smith appeared on Deal or No Deal in 2019 to help a contestant who idolizes him.

Smith and Jesse Iwuji, a NASCAR racer, will team up in 2021 to form Jesse Iwuji Motorsports, a NASCAR Xfinity Series team that will compete full-time in 2022.

Personal life

Smith was initiated at the University of Florida as a member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. He returned to the university during the offseason to finish his education, and in May 1996, he earned his bachelor's degree in public recreation.

Smith is a devout Christian. Rheagen Smith (born November 2, 1998), with ex-girlfriend Hope Wilson, he has a daughter. Miss Virginia USA Patricia Southall married him on April 22, 2000. They have three children together: Emmitt James Smith IV (born May 15, 2002), Skylar Smith (born October 15, 2003), and Elijah Alexander Smith (born September 22, 2010). Smith is also the stepfather to Jasmine Page Lawrence (born January 15, 1996), who is Southall's daughter with ex-husband, comedian Martin Lawrence.

Emory Jones, Emory's brother, starred on the practice squads of the Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers. In 2020, Smith's eldest son, E. J., will play college football at Stanford.

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College career

Smith accepted a sports scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he spent three seasons with the Galen Hall Gators (1987-1989). He did not start his college career in 1987, but he made the most of his opportunities in a second-week Tulsa game in which he gained 109 yards on ten carries, including a 66-yard touchdown run. Because of his appearance in the Gators' SEC opener against Alabama at Legion Field, he was able to remain in the starting lineup the following week.

When the Gators defeated the Crimson Tide, Smith quickly tied Florida's 57-year-old all-time single game rushing record, breaking 37 times for 224 yards and two touchdowns. In his seventh game of his freshman season, Smith set a new record for the first running back to start his college career. He finished the year with 1,341 yards, was named SEC and National Freshman of the Year, and ninth in the Heisman Trophy polling.

Smith and the Gators started the 1988 season with averaging of over 120 yards per game, leading his team to a 5-0 start. Smith suffered his knee during his sixth match against Memphis State and was forced to withdraw from action for several weeks. The Gators lost the game in which he was hurt plus three games, and they were unable to muster a single touchdown in over 14 quarters of play. Smith returned to the lineup, winning the 1988 All-American Bowl, in which Smith scored for a 55-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage and was named the game's MVP. Smith averaged 988 yards per year (not including the bowl game) at 110 yards per game, the lowest totals of his college career.

Smith stayed fit through his junior season in 1989 and gained traction once more. Among other things, he finished his career with Florida's highest rush yards in a season (1,599), rushing yards in a single game (316 against Mississippi State in October 1989), longest rushing play (96 yards against Mississippi State in 1988), career rushing yards (3,928), and career rushing touchdowns (3,36). Smith had 58 school records at the end of his Florida career, despite playing on Florida teams with virtually no passing games, making him the most notable defense star of opposing defenses.

Smith was named as a first-team SEC pick for the third year and SEC Player of the Year in 1989 and placed seventh in the Heisman Trophy balloting, a unanimous first-team All-American. Since Florida fell behind Washington early and was forced to throw in his last game in the Freedom Bowl, he had few rushing attempts.

Steve Spurrier was introduced as the Gators' new head coach on January 1, 1990, just days later. Smith, who was worried about his potential involvement in Spurrier's reportedly pass-first offense, decided not to complete his senior year at Florida and enroll in the NFL draft, which also allowed juniors to participate for the first time in history. Smith earned his bachelor's degree in 1996 after returning to the university during the NFL off-season.

Smith was later 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. He was deemed the No. Among a series of articles published for The Gainesville Sun in 2006. 3 of the top 100 players from the first 100 years of the Gators football program.

Professional career

With their first round pick, the Dallas Cowboys considered drafting linebacker James Francis, but the Cowboys shifted to improving their running game after Smith was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals because even though he was drafted correctly and slow for the pro game. The Pittsburgh Steelers traded up from 21st to 17th position in exchange for a third round draft pick (#81-Craig Veasey), then to select Smith in the first round. Despite being named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and receiving Pro Bowl accolades, he was able to start 15 games, rush for 937 yards, and 11 touchdowns, despite missing all of the preseason after enduring the longest holdout by a rookie in franchise history.

He had 1,563 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in 1991. After rushing 160 yards against the Atlanta Falcons in the season opener, he also won the first of four rushing titles.

He set the Cowboys' single-season franchise record and claimed the rushing title with 1,713 yards in 1992. He also became the first player to win both the league's rushing title and the Super Bowl in the same season.

He missed all of preparation camp and the first two regular season games in 1993. With rookie Derrick Lassic running in his place, the Cowboys lost both games. The Cowboys reformed and reached an agreement, making Smith the highest paid running back in the league, with the season in jeopardy. Smith led the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl appearance after going 0-2. He has also been named league MVP and the Super Bowl XVIII MVP award. His 237 rushing yards against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 31 set the single-season franchise record. Smith's career best game came in the season's final against the New York Giants, with the Cowboys scrambling to win the NFC East title and a first-degree bye in the playoffs, but he was still top-ranked with 229 yards and played a key role in the 16-13 victory.

Despite fighting a hamstring pull late in the season, Smith led the league with 21 rushing touchdowns, a new career high. However, the Cowboys lost the NFC Championship Game to the 49ers.

Smith was the first player in league history to rush for 1,400 yards or more in five consecutive seasons, setting the NFL record for 25 rushing touchdowns. Smith, Jim Brown, Adrian Peterson, and LaDainian Tomlinson are the only players with seven seasons in a row. He also broke two of Tony Dorsett's Dallas franchise records, the first for most consecutive games of a season with 100+ rushing yards (Smith's four to Dorsett's three), and the second for single-season rushing yards (1,773 to Dorsett's 1,646). Both records will be held for 19 years until 2014, when DeMarco Murray rushed for 100+ yards in each of his first eight games and totaled 1,845 yards over the course of the season.

He scored his 100th career rushing touchdown and 10,000 career rushing yards in 1996, becoming the youngest player to reach this milestone.

He made his way into the Cowboys' all-time leading rusher (passing Dorsett) and the NFL's all-time touchdown leader (surpassing Marcus Allen) in 1998. He made the NFL's all-time leader in career postseason passing yards (1,586) and postseason rushing touchdowns (19).

Smith made history by posting 1,021 rushing yards in 2001, the first to reach 11 consecutive seasons and the first to reach 11 1,000 yards in a career.

He completed the 2002 season with 17,162 career yards and breaking Walter Payton's NFL record held against the Seattle Seahawks, a record set as a rookie. Bill Parcells, the Cowboys' head coach, wanted to play younger running backs and released Smith on February 26, 2003.

Smith signed a two-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals on March 26, 2003, but the team was not only looking for Smith to advance their team, but they also helped them advertise it with their local fan base. Responding to questions about what he could do as a 34-year-old running back, he said, "I think I'm a 1,300-yard back, and I'm out to prove it." Smith will be able to play for the Cardinals, according to Head Coach Dave McGinnis. He returned to Texas Stadium on October 5 to face the Cowboys in a highly awaited match, but he sustained a broken left shoulder blade after safety Roy Williams struck him in the second quarter. Smith's 6 attempts for minus-1 yards marked the first time in his career he rushed for negative yardage. He missed six games and ended the season with 256 passing yards and averaged just 2.8 yards per carry.

Dennis Green, the team's head coach, was hired and named Smith as the team's starting lineup at running back in 2004. He had 937 passing yards and 9 touchdowns. He was also the first football player to throw his first touchdown pass, throwing a 21-yard touchdown on a halfback option play, his first passing attempt of his career.

In his 2-year career in Arizona, Smith had 1,193 passing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, and averaged 3.2 yards per carry. In his 2-year with the Arizona Cardinals, he had 212 receiving yards, no receiving touchdowns, and averaged 7.3 yards per reception.

Smith resigned from football three days before Super Bowl XXXIX, February 3, 2005. He was not fired by the Cardinals and signed a one-day deal with the Dallas Cowboys, after which he immediately signed with the team he had worked with for the majority of his career.

Smith currently has the most rushing yards per year with 18,355, beating Walter Payton's previous record of 1,025. He leads all running backs with 164 career rushing touchdowns, with 175 total touchdowns ranking him second only to Jerry Rice's 208. He has a total of 21,564 yards from the line of scrimmage, making him one of the few players in NFL history to surpass the 21,000 combined yards record. Jerry Rice, Brian Mitchell, and Walter Payton are among the others on the list.)

With 4,409, the only player to post three seasons with 19 or more touchdowns, and the record-holder for most games in a season with a touchdown (18), which was set in 1995.

Smith also set numerous NFL records, including rushing touchdowns (19), consecutive games with a rushing touchdown (9), and 100-yard rushing games (7). His 1,586 yards passing is also top on the NFL playoff scoring chart, with Thurman Thomas averaging 21 points in the playoff playoffs. Smith played for over 100 yards in two Super Bowl appearances, Super Bowl XXVI (108 yards and a touchdown, and six receptions for 27 yards), and Super Bowl XXVII (132 yards and two touchdowns, with four receptions for 26 yards). Smith was named Super Bowl MVP for Super Bowl XXVIII, becoming the only Cowboys to win the award. In Super Bowl XXX, he also scored two touchdowns.

Smith is one of only five NFL players to have more than 10,000 career rushing yards and 400 career receptions. Smith and Jerry Rice are the only two non-kickers in NFL history to reach 1,000 points in a career.

Smith, as a runner, was consistently efficient, but not dazzling in style. "Smith" darted, slithered, and followed his blockers, and finally squeaked a yard out of plays that didn't have any yards in them. He didn't appear to be particularly fast or strong, or blindly deceptive, but he couldn't be stopped." Smith was known as one of the best second-effort runners ever for his durable back with superb vision, explosive leg strength, and great balance. Smith was also a reliable receiver and a good blocker in pass defense.

He was often compared to Detroit Lions Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders, as both men were highly successful for their respective clubs and combined for eight rushing titles during the 1990s. Some give Smith the edge for his consistent "north-south" style that exploited Dallas' prolific offensive line, while others think Sanders' brilliant running style with sudden shifts of direction made him a better back. However, observers agree that Smith and Sanders were among the best running backs in league history.

Despite the fact that Smith was the only one to tell John Madden that Madden NFL rated his talents too high, he was ranked No. 1. 68 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players in 1999, three years before being the game's all-time rushing yardage champion.

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