It's been nearly two decades since Emmitt Smith played his first game at Texas Stadium. Since 1990, the star player has improved his performance quality dramatically and has discovered another talent he had been hiding; dancing! Now he is widely recognized for both of his impressive abilities. To some he may be the guy who made the Tango look manly on the third season of Dancing with the Stars, which he ultimately won. To most, he may be the greatest running back to ever grace the football field. Regardless of whether or not the teams he played for are your preferred teams, there is absolutely no denying that Emmitt Smith is an irreplaceable player. Although, he was once deemed to be too slow and too small to succeed in the National Football League, he has been a dominant player at every level in the game, from college to national.
Emmitt James Smith III grew up in rural Pensacola, Florida, where he spent his childhood years idolizing famed Chicago Bears Half-Back, Walter Payton. Payton was well-known for holding the record for NFL's all time rushing leader. Ironically, Smith later went on to surpass Payton's outstanding title when playing against the Seattle Seahawks on October 27, 2002; almost three years to the day after Payton's tragic death. In addition to this astounding accomplishment, Smith has many more brag-worthy achievements on his resumé. In 1993, he was declared the only running back in history to have won a Super Bowl championship, as well as being awarded the NFL rushing crown, NFL Most Valuable Player award, and the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award in the same season.
"I'm chasing after legends... after guys who made history," Emmitt Smith once told Sports Illustrated in the dawn of his professional career. When my career is over, I want to have the new kids, the new [running] backs say, 'Boy, we have to chase a legend to be the best.' And they'll mean Emmitt Smith." If his goal was to be a legend, he certainly has accomplished that. Aside from all of his other achievements, Smith was also inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor on September 19, 2005. In 2010, he will additionally become eligible to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame and it is widely expected that he will be initiated on his first attempt. Smith was also enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame on July 21, 2007 for his profound play at the University of Florida.
All players eventually come to a time where they decide to take a rest from the game. On February 3, 2005, Emmitt Smith proudly walked out onto the press conference stage and retired from the NFL after 14 years of impressive, intense playing. Smith spent his final two seasons playing as an Arizona Cardinal. However, in an extraordinary tribute to Smith's prolific career as a Dallas Cowboy, team owner Jerry Jones signed him to a one-day, no-money contract allowing Smith to finalize his career where he belonged and will be remembered fondly; Dallas.
