GAINESVILLE -- The Florida Gators got the man they wanted most when Pensacola`s Emmitt Smith, the nation`s No. 2 all-time leading rusher, signed a binding national letter-of-intent Wednesday.
NFL HALL OF FAMER
BRONZE STATUE IN CANTON
GOLD JACKET
NFL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
2010 RB
The Ultimate!
The Dallas Cowboys were rebuilding when they selected Florida running back Emmitt Smith in the first round of the 1990 draft. After a holdout during all of training camp and preseason of his rookie season, Smith reported to the Cowboys in time for the start of the regular season. He wasted no time in proving he was going to be a huge part of the team’s future.
Smith rushed for 937 yards and scored 11 touchdowns to earn Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and the first of eight career Pro Bowl nods. He followed that season by rushing for a league-leading 1,563 yards. Smith won four rushing crowns during a five-year span as he added titles in 1992, 1993, and 1995. He also led the NFL in rushing touchdowns three times and contributed 277 pass receptions during that same five-season period.
His best year came in 1995 when he recorded career highs for rushing yards (1,773), rushing touchdowns (25), and receptions (62).
Not surprisingly, Smith’s impact on the team helped nurture the Cowboys back to the top of the NFL. The Cowboys, with their star runner leading the way, won three Super Bowls over four seasons from 1992 to 1995. Smith was named first-team All-Pro in each year during that four-year period. In 1993, he was named the NFL’s MVP and followed that by earning Most Valuable Player honors in the Cowboys’ 30-13 win over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII.
After narrowly missing the 1,000-yard mark as a rookie, Smith embarked on a record run of 11 straight seasons with 1,000 yards rushing. His streak came to end in Smith’s final season in Dallas in 2002 when he missed the 1,000-yard mark by a mere 25 yards. However, that season was highlighted by one particular game against the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 27, 2002. In that contest, Smith supplanted Walter Payton as the NFL’s all-time rushing leader.
Smith, who was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s, finished his 226-game career by playing two final seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He retired with a career total of 18,355 yards and a NFL record 164 rushing touchdowns. He also added 515 receptions for 3,224 yards and 11 touchdowns.
NFL DRAFTEE
1990 DRAFT
Dallas Cowboys
FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK
17TH OVERALL PICK
Drafted out of Florida
COLLEGE CHOICE(S)
University of Florida
Signed Letter of Intent
Wed, Feb 11, 1987 10:00 AM
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EMMITT SMITH III BIO
One of the best to grace the gridiron on any level, Emmitt Smith has established and cemented his legacy.
Parade and USA Today High School Player of the Year
Led Escambia to back-to-back State Championship in his sophomore and junior seasons 1984, 1985
8804 career yards at Escambia
45 100 yard games
NFL all-time leading rusher
Member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
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EMMITT SMITH III STATS
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EMMITT SMITH III HONORS
2006 --
College Football Hall of Fame
2010 --
Pro Football Hall of Fame
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EMMITT SMITH III PHOTOS
EMMITT SMITH III VIDEOS
Football: Emmitt Smith's Last High School Game, 1986
Favorite Video
Emmitt Smith In High School, 1986
Favorite Video
EMMITT SMITH III RECRUITING
University of Florida
Signed Letter of Intent
Wed, Feb 11, 1987 10:00 AM