Emmitt J. Smith III enters the world in Pensacola, Fla. He is the eldest son
among the four boys and two girls born to Mary, who works in a bank, and Emmitt
Jr., a city bus driver.
1976
At seven years old, Emmitt begins playing organized football. The future NFL
star is so physically advanced and dominating that Mary has to bring his birth
certificate to all of his games to prove his age.
Fall
1983
As a freshman at Escambia High School in Pensacola, Smith leads his team to the
divisional playoffs. Before Emmitt joined the squad, the school had just one
winning season in its previous
18.
1984
Behind Smith's 2,424 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns, Escambia wins the state's
3-A
championship.
Winter
1986
In his four years at Escambia, Smith breaks numerous Florida high school
records. His 8,804 rushing yards and 106 touchdowns touchdowns both still stand
among the top three national prep/high school career totals. "For four years we
did three things, and won two state championships doing them," Escambia coach
Dwight Thomas says. "Hand the ball to Emmitt, pitch the ball to Emmitt, throw
the ball to Emmitt. It was no secret. Everyone knew we were going to get the
ball to him. It was just a question of
how."
February 11,
1987
Smith agrees to attend the University of Florida thus landing the Gators USA
Today's high school player of the year for
1986.
September 20,
1987
In the third game of the season -- a battle against Alabama -- Smith earns his
first start and responds by breaking Florida's single-game rushing record, which
had stood since 1930. His 224 yards on 39 carries and two touchdowns leads the
Gators to a 23-14 upset of the Crimson Tide.
October 17,
1987
By the seventh game of the season, Smith passes the 1,000-yard rushing mark,
reaching that milestone faster than any other runner in college football
history.
December 5,
1987
Smith becomes the second freshman ever to finish in the Top 10 of the Heisman
Trophy voting, coming in ninth.
October 21,
1989
Smith runs for a personal and school best 316 yards on 31 carries against New
Mexico.
April 22,
1990
The Dallas Cowboys trade up to obtain the 17th pick in the draft and and use it
to select Smith. "There were all these people saying, 'He's too slow,' or 'He's
too small,"' Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson says. "All I know is that every time
I saw a film of him, he was running 50, 60, 70, 80 yards for a touchdown. That
looked pretty good to
me."
September 4,
1990
After holding out for the entire preseason -- the longest holdout in Cowboys
history -- Smith finally inks a four-year, $5-million contract.
Winter
1990
After establishing 58 school records, including 3,298 career rushing yards,
Smith forgoes his senior season and declares himself eligible for the NFL draft.
He is among 37 other juniors who were given the right to enter the draft, which
had previously been restricted to include only
seniors.
January 10,
1991
With season totals of 937 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, Smith wins the
Offensive Rookie of the Year award. "I feel very honored," says the
Cowboys running back, who barely played in the first two games of the year as he
tried to get in shape following his holdout. "For me, coming out of college
and not achieving the Heisman ... this made it a big honor for me to be Rookie
of the Year."
December
1991
Smith finishes the '91 campaign with 1,563 rushing yards to lead the NFL -- the
first Cowboy to ever do so. He's also the youngest player (22 years and seven
months) in the history of the league to top the 1,500-yard mark in a single
season.
December
1992
For the second season in a row, Smith leads the NFL in rushing. His 1,713 yards
surpasses Tony Dorsett's franchise single-season rushing record of 1,646
yards.
January 31,
1993
In Super Bowl XXVII, Dallas crushes Buffalo, 52-17. Smith rushes 22 times for
108 yards and a
touchdown.
September 16,
1993
Not satisfied with contract offers from the Cowboys, Smith holds out again,
missing the entire preseason and the first two games of the regular season.
After Dallas loses both of those contests, owner Jerry Jones succumbs to Smith's
desires and signs the running back to a four-year, $13.6 million pact. "Emmitt
would have liked to have had more money and I would like to have paid less
money. We came to a compromise," says Jones.
October 31,
1993
Smith has a career day against Philadelphia, running for 237 yards -- including
a 62-yard touchdown scamper -- breaking the Cowboys' single-game rushing record
and tying the sixth-highest single-game mark in league
history.
