History of Emmitt Smith in Timeline
Emmitt Smith is a former American professional football running back, renowned for his 15 seasons in the NFL, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. He holds the distinction of being the NFL's all-time leading rusher, solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest running backs in football history.
May 15, 1969: Emmitt Smith Born
On May 15, 1969, Emmitt James Smith III was born. He would later become a professional football running back.
1986: Named National High School Player of the Year
In 1986, Emmitt Smith was named the national high school player of the year by multiple publications and organizations, including USA Today, Parade Magazine, and Gatorade.
1987: Attended the University of Florida
In the fall of 1987, Emmitt Smith accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville and played for coach Galen Hall's Gators for three seasons.
1988: Longest Rushing Play
In 1988, Emmitt Smith made his longest rushing play for 96 yards against Mississippi State.
1988: MVP in All-American Bowl
In 1988, Emmitt Smith returned to the lineup in mid-November and Florida won the All-American Bowl where he ran 55-yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage and was named the game's MVP.
1988: Injured During Game Against Memphis State
In 1988, during the sixth contest against Memphis State in mid-October, Emmitt Smith was sidelined with a sprained knee, leading to an upset loss for the Florida Gators.
1989: Played at University of Florida
In 1989, Emmitt Smith played his last season for the University of Florida.
1989: Named All-American
In 1989, Emmitt Smith was named a unanimous All-American. He then chose to forgo his senior year of college to play professionally.
1989: Named First-Team SEC and All-American
In 1989, at the conclusion of his junior season, Emmitt Smith was named a first-team 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.
January 1, 1990: Steve Spurrier Introduced as New Gators Coach
On January 1, 1990, Steve Spurrier was introduced as the Gators' new head coach. Emmitt 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.
1990: Drafted by the Dallas Cowboys
In 1990, Emmitt Smith was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the NFL draft, with the 17th overall pick.
1990: Selected by the Cowboys in the NFL Draft
In 1990, the Dallas Cowboys selected Emmitt Smith in the first round of the NFL draft, trading up to the 17th pick. He was later named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and received Pro Bowl honors.
1991: First Rushing Title
In 1991, Emmitt Smith 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.
1992: Led the League in Rushing and Won the Super Bowl
In 1992, Emmitt Smith led the league in rushing and won the Super Bowl. This was the first time this had ever been done.
1992: Set Cowboys Record and Won Rushing Title
In 1992, Emmitt Smith 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.
1993: Won Super Bowl, MVP Award, Rushing Crown and Super Bowl MVP
In 1993, Emmitt Smith became 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: Became Highest Paid Running Back
In 1993, after missing training camp and the first two games, Emmitt Smith became the highest paid running back in the league.
1994: Led League in Rushing Touchdowns
In 1994, Emmitt Smith led the league with 21 rushing touchdowns, a new career-high, despite battling a hamstring pull late in the season. However, the Cowboys lost the NFC Championship Game to the San Francisco 49ers.
1995: Broke Franchise Rushing Records
In 1995, Emmitt Smith became the first player in league history to rush for 1,400 rushing yards or more in five consecutive seasons and set the NFL record with 25 rushing touchdowns. Smith also broke two of Tony Dorsett's Dallas franchise rushing records
1995: Led the League in Rushing and Won the Super Bowl
In 1995, Emmitt Smith led the league in rushing and won the Super Bowl for the third time.
1995: Record-setting season
In 1995, Emmitt Smith set the record for most games in a season with a touchdown and most games in a season with a rushing touchdown, achieving this feat in 15 games.
January 15, 1996: Jasmine Page Lawrence's Birthdate
January 15, 1996, marks the birthdate of Jasmine Page Lawrence, Patricia Southall's daughter with ex-husband Martin Lawrence, making her Emmitt Smith's stepdaughter.
1996: Graduated from the University of Florida
In 1996, Emmitt Smith graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in public recreation.
1996: Reached 10,000 Career Rushing Yards
In 1996, Emmitt Smith scored his 100th career rushing touchdown and surpassed 10,000 career rushing yards, becoming just the twelfth player in league history and the youngest one to reach this milestone.
1996: Completed Bachelor's Degree
In 1996, during the NFL off-season, Emmitt Smith returned to the University of Florida and completed his bachelor's degree.
November 2, 1998: Birth of daughter Rheagen Smith
On November 2, 1998, Emmitt Smith's daughter, Rheagen Smith, was born to his ex-girlfriend Hope Wilson.
1998: Became Cowboys All-Time Leading Rusher
In 1998, Emmitt Smith became the Cowboys' all-time leading rusher and the NFL's all-time rushing touchdown leader.
1999: Inducted into University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame
In 1999, Emmitt Smith was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great".
April 22, 2000: Married Patricia Southall
On April 22, 2000, Emmitt Smith married former Miss Virginia USA Patricia Southall.
2001: First Player with 11 Consecutive 1,000 Yard Seasons
In 2001, Emmitt Smith became the first player in NFL history with 11 consecutive 1,000 yard seasons and the first to post eleven 1,000-yard rushing seasons in a career.
May 15, 2002: Birth of son Emmitt James Smith IV
On May 15, 2002, Emmitt Smith and Patricia Southall welcomed their son, Emmitt James Smith IV.
October 27, 2002: Broke Career Rushing Yards Record
On October 27, 2002, Emmitt Smith broke the NFL record in career rushing yards with 18,355, breaking the previous record held by Walter Payton, against the Seattle Seahawks.
2002: Founded the Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities
In 2002, Emmitt Smith and his wife founded the Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities, a nonprofit organization with the mission to provide children with the resources necessary to reach their full potential.
2002: Broke NFL Rushing Record
In 2002, Emmitt Smith broke the NFL rushing record previously held by Walter Payton. In the same game, Smith ran for a touchdown that gave him 150 career rushing touchdowns.
February 26, 2003: Released by Cowboys
On February 26, 2003, after the 2002 season, the Cowboys released Emmitt Smith after hiring Bill Parcells as head coach.
March 26, 2003: Signed with Arizona Cardinals
On March 26, 2003, Emmitt Smith signed a two-year contract as a free agent with the Arizona Cardinals.
October 15, 2003: Birth of daughter Skylar Smith
On October 15, 2003, Emmitt Smith and Patricia Southall celebrated the birth of their daughter, Skylar Smith.
2004: Threw First Touchdown Pass
In 2004, Emmitt Smith became the oldest player in NFL history to throw his first touchdown pass, throwing a 21-yard touchdown strike on a halfback option play against the New Orleans Saints in week 4, the only passing attempt of his career.
February 3, 2005: Announced Retirement from the NFL
On February 3, 2005, three days before Super Bowl XXXIX, Emmitt Smith announced his retirement from the NFL. He signed a one-day contract for one dollar with the Dallas Cowboys, after which he immediately retired with the team he had played with for most of his career.
September 2005: Joined NFL Total Access as a studio analyst
In September 2005, Emmitt Smith became a studio analyst on the NFL Network show, NFL Total Access.
September 19, 2005: Inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor
On September 19, 2005, during halftime of the Cowboys-Redskins game, Emmitt Smith was inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor alongside teammates Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin.
2005: Formed Smith/Cypress Partners LP
In 2005, Emmitt Smith partnered with Roger Staubach to form Smith/Cypress Partners LP, a real estate development enterprise.
July 23, 2006: Judge at the Miss Universe 2006 pageant
On July 23, 2006, Emmitt Smith served as a judge at the Miss Universe 2006 pageant.
2006: Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
In 2006, Emmitt Smith was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
2006: Inducted into Gator Football Ring of Honor and College Football Hall of Fame
In 2006, Emmitt Smith was inducted into the Gator Football Ring of Honor and the College Football Hall of Fame.
2006: Won Dancing with the Stars
In 2006, Emmitt Smith won the third season of Dancing with the Stars with professional dancer Cheryl Burke.
2006: Smith/Cypress Transactions Totaled $26 Billion
In 2006, Smith/Cypress, a privately held firm, had transactions totaling $26 billion and 835 million square feet of space.
March 12, 2007: Joined ESPN as a studio analyst
On March 12, 2007, Emmitt Smith joined ESPN as a studio analyst for their NFL pre-game coverage.
2007: Guest appearance on How I Met Your Mother
In 2007, Emmitt Smith made a guest appearance on "How I Met Your Mother", joking about the Super Bowl in a scene with Barney Stinson.
2007: Named Florida High School Football Player of the Century
In 2007, twenty years after graduating high school, Emmitt Smith was named the Florida high school football "Player of the Century" by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA).
2008: Moved to SportsCenter
In 2008, Emmitt Smith was removed from ESPN's NFL pre-game coverage and instead appeared on SportsCenter during the NFL season.
2009: ESPN contract not renewed
In 2009, Emmitt Smith's contract with ESPN was not renewed.
February 7, 2010: Flipped the coin at Super Bowl XLIV
On February 7, 2010, Emmitt Smith flipped the coin at the start of Super Bowl XLIV between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints.
June 2010: Returned to Escambia High School for Homecoming
In June 2010, Emmitt Smith returned to his high school alma mater, Escambia High School in Pensacola, Florida, for a taping of ESPN's show Homecoming with Rick Reilly.
September 22, 2010: Birth of son Elijah Alexander James Smith
On September 22, 2010, Emmitt Smith and Patricia Southall welcomed their son, Elijah Alexander James Smith.
October 2010: Inducted into the Escambia High School Sports Hall of Fame
In October 2010, Emmitt Smith was inducted into the Escambia High School Sports Hall of Fame during halftime of an EHS football game.
2010: Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
In 2010, Emmitt Smith was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
2011: Participated in National Heads-Up Poker Championship
In 2011, Emmitt Smith participated in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, defeating David Williams in the first round but losing to Andrew Robl in the second round.
2014: Records Broken by DeMarco Murray
In 2014, DeMarco Murray rushed for 100+ yards in each of his first eight games and accumulated 1,845 rushing yards over the course of the season breaking records that Emmitt Smith had held.
2014: Smith's company began nationwide expansion
In 2014, Emmitt Smith's company, Smith/Cypress Partners, began a nationwide expansion, including into New York City.
2016: Became co-owner of The Gents Place
In 2016, Emmitt Smith became the co-owner of The Gents Place, a men's grooming and lifestyle club founded in Frisco, Texas.
2019: Appeared on Deal or No Deal
In 2019, Emmitt Smith appeared on an episode of Deal or No Deal to support a contestant who idolizes him.
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