Emmitt Smith
“Seventeenth overall, three Super Bowls, then every yard a professional has ever stacked.”
Drafted 17th overall by Dallas in 1990, Smith anchored a Cowboys dynasty almost immediately. He reached superstardom in the 1993 season, winning the NFL MVP and then Super Bowl XXVIII MVP, leading the league in rushing while powering Dallas to a second straight title. That year confirmed him as the era's premier running back.
Cornerstone of a Dynasty
Drafted in 1990, Emmitt Smith quickly became the engine of the Dallas Cowboys' 1990s dynasty. Behind a dominant offensive line, his blend of vision, balance, and toughness made him nearly unstoppable.
The 1993 Sweep
In 1993 Smith led the NFL in rushing, won the league MVP, and was named Super Bowl XXVIII MVP, an unmatched single-season trifecta. He helped Dallas win three Super Bowls in four years.
Rushing King
In 2002 Smith broke Walter Payton's career rushing record, finishing with 18,355 yards, still the most in NFL history. He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a first-ballot selection in 2010.
Career Timeline
- 1969Born in Pensacola.
- 1990Cowboys, seventeenth pick.
- 1993MVP. Super Bowl. The holdout year.
- 2002Passes Payton.
Biggest Hits
- Smith is the only running back to win a Super Bowl, the NFL MVP, the rushing title, and the Super Bowl MVP in the same season (1993).
- He won the celebrity competition 'Dancing with the Stars' in 2006.
Portrait: John Trainor · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons