Bidding it good bye

Smith offering memorabilia for charity auction

On the block IRVING, Texas (AP) -- A partial list of the Emmitt Smith memorabilia available in an online auction for charity (the entire list can be viewed at www.mastronet.com): Football that Smith carried to surpass 15,000 yards. Game ball from Super Bowl XXVII, the first of three Super Bowls for Smith. Game ball from Jan. 2, 1994, game against the New York Giants, considered by many the greatest game Smith ever played. A jersey, helmet, cleats, mouthpiece and tape Smith wore Oct. 27, 2002, in the game he broke Walter Payton's career rushing record. Helmets from the 1996, 1998 and 2000 seasons. Shoulder pads Smith wore the first eight seasons of his career, which included four rushing titles and three Super Bowls. Used game gloves and cleats.

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- After every one of his NFL touchdowns, Emmitt Smith keeps the ball tucked under his arm for safekeeping.

Through 13 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Smith has amassed quite a collection of footballs and other memorabilia while becoming the NFL's career rushing leader and scoring a record 150 touchdowns on the ground.

Now he's ready to share some of his prized possessions, offering about 50 items in an auction for charity. The money raised will go to The Open Doors Foundation, a nonprofit organization Smith created to provide academic help for youths.

Among the items are a jersey and helmet Smith wore Oct. 27, when he broke Walter Payton's career rushing record, and the footballs he used to score his first and 100th touchdowns.

"There is a lot of good stuff going in there," Smith said. "There are a lot of folks who might want to hold on to something of that nature because of the scarcity of it. Someone else might have more enjoyment out of it instead of me trying to retain all of it."

The memorabilia will be part of an online sports auction conducted by Chicago-based MastroNet from Nov. 25 to Dec. 13. Among the non-Smith items will be Barry Bonds' 600th home run ball and a bat used by Shoeless Joe Jackson.

Doug Allen, MastroNet's president, said it is hard to determine how much money will be raised from Smith's items.

"The offering we have in terms of Emmitt Smith's career, the depth of his career, is pretty significant," Allen said Thursday. "It's unprecedented that football memorabilia or any memorabilia had been put aside the way Emmitt meticulously has through the years.

"We sell a lot of stuff from dead guys, vintage older stuff."

 

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