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Multiplicity Emmitt merely the latest star to change teamsPosted: Thursday March 27, 2003 11:57 AM
By B. Duane Cross, SI.com If the shock of Emmitt Smith not being with the Dallas Cowboys in 2003 hadn't set in -- even after he was released last month -- Wednesday's announcement that the NFL's all-time leading rusher had signed with the Arizona Cardinals was a cold splash of water in the face. Fans of America's Team shouldn't take it so hard, though. After all, free agency is the American way. Emmitt's not the first star to fall from grace with the team that drafted him. Ask anyone in San Francisco, and 10 years ago they couldn't have fathomed Jerry Rice playing for another team. Or, before him, Joe Montana. Of course, Dallas has seen this before. Tony Dorsett spent 11 seasons with the Cowboys before wrapping his career with one unremarkable season with Denver in 1988. At least Fran Tarkenton came back to Minnesota, even before re-signing with a team for the sole purpose of ceremoniously "retiring as a fill-in-the-blank" became fashionable. In fact, Tarkenton left the Vikings for five seasons with the Giants before returning to Minnesota -- and three trips to the Super Bowl. The days of a star player being drafted by and spending his career with one team are becoming fewer and farther between.
Even Ricky Williams -- the running back New Orleans couldn't live without and traded its entire 1999 draft to Washington in order to move up and select the Heisman Tropy winner -- has moved on. The reasons are varied, but money (read: salary cap) is a major factor in many of these transactions. Smith would've counted $2.8 million against the Cowboys' 2003 cap, with the remaining $2.1 million hitting in '04. Because Dallas did not wait until June 1 to release Smith, the Cowboys absorb the entire $4.9 million this season. Among the top five in the major yardage categories, only John Elway (passing) and Cris Carter (receiving) did not accumulate at least 50 percent of their yards with the team that drafted them. At least Rams fans were treated to 55 percent of Eric Dickerson's rushing total, including his single-season record of 2,105 in 1984. Furthermore, no less than seven players in the top 10 in each category -- rushing yards, receiving yards, passing yards and yards from scrimmage -- played for at least two teams during their career. Among the notables:
Of course, Emmitt's departure has been 13 years in the making; of the top 50 all-time rushers, only 13 played their career with one team. Below is the list of the top five players all-time in rushing yards, receiving yards, passing yards and yards from scrimmage, including the team that drafted him, career yards, yards gained with the team that drafted him and percentage of yards with that team:
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