10. October 27, 2002 : Emmitt’s crowning as the all-time king
By 2002, the Cowboys had turned in back-to-back 5-11 seasons. The Super Bowls were a distant memory. Michael Irvin and Troy Aikman were gone. Dave Campo was now roaming the sidelines in Dallas. But Emmitt still had an important box to check on his career wish list.
He started the season within 600 rushing yards of Walter Payton’s all-time record. And with a mostly toothless team surrounding Smith, the ’02 season became a weekly game of Emmitt Watch, with fans and media trying to calculate when he would be become the league’s new rushing king.
The tension of chasing Payton’s mark took a noticeable toll on Smith, who seemed completely consumed in the early part of the season, an intense man focused solely on his next carry, and the one after that, and the one after that, constantly doing the math, until he finally broke the run that made his lifelong ambition a reality.
The day came against Seattle in Week 8. To break the record, Smith would need almost 100 yards, a mark he had not reached since Week 15 the year before. But with 63,854 home fans in attendance and two road games next on the docket, the Cowboys were motivated to give Emmitt the rock often, to let him have his moment before the Texas Stadium faithful.
The moment came in the fourth quarter, on 2nd-and-7 from the Dallas 30, with a play called “15-Lead.” Smith needed ten yards. He took the handoff from quarterback Chad Hutchinson and followed fullback Robert Thomas into a large void behind left guard Jeremy McKinney. As he emerged from the pile, Smith nearly stumbled forward, but managed to catch his balance; the open hole had seemingly caught him by surprise. He lurched ahead, shedding a tackle, falling, bracing with his right arm, scrambling to stay upright, eking out every last inch before finally tumbling to the turf.
He had nearly broken the run for a long touchdown scamper. Instead, the 11-yard-pickup only gave Smith one of the most celebrated records in all of sports.
It came on a play Smith himself suggested to offensive coordinator Bruce Coslet at halftime.
After the game was paused for a celebration of the moment, Emmitt ended the day with 109 rushing yards and a touchdown on 24 attempts. The Cowboys went on to lose the game by a 17-14 score. It mattered very little.
Dallas went on to finish 5-11 once again in 2002. Smith missed his 12th straight 1,000-yard season by just 25 yards. Four months to the day after breaking Walter Payton’s record, the Dallas Cowboys released the all-time rushing king.
Smith played 25 more games with the Arizona Cardinals before officially retiring as a Cowboy. In 15 NFL seasons, he totaled 18,355 rushing yards on 4,409 carries, both current league records. There is serious doubt about whether either record will ever be topped.
He is a three-time Super Bowl champion, a four-time rushing champ, a four-time rushing TD leader, a four-time 1st-team All-Pro, and an eight-time Pro Bowler. He was named Super Bowl MVP, league MVP, Offensive Rookie of the Year, and a member of the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. He was inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2005 alongside his Triplets teammates Aikman and Irvin. Smith was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
Happy Birthday, Emmitt.
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