The only offensive lineman in the Cowboys Ring of Honor took quite a journey to get there, a journey he now has trouble remembering.
Fans don’t know the offensive linemen, the saying goes, unless they screw up.
Sometimes the best offensive linemen in the sport’s history don’t really register with the average fan. Even in the world of professional football, in the very buildings where they ply their punishing trade, they can be easily overlooked while the teammates they protect and block for get all the glory.
The Dallas Cowboys have boasted some legendary offensive linemen in their six-decade history. Superstars like Staubach, Aikman, Romo, Prescott, Dorsett, Smith, and Elliott might not be what they are without their big beefeaters up front. Despite a roster packed with playmakers, for example, the Cowboys of the ’90s don’t win three Super Bowls in four years without the front five who made up “The Great Wall of Dallas.”
Twenty-two names are forever immortalized in AT&T Stadium’s Ring of Honor. But even here, where the history of O-line play is as rich and storied as anyplace in the league, only one offensive lineman resides next to those other legends. And while he played in an era when few of today’s fans got the chance to see him, there is only one Rayfield Wright.
In honor of the all-time rushing champ’s birthday, we take a look back at 10 games that defined Emmitt Smith’s Hall of Fame career.
Emmitt Smith celebrates his 51st birthday on Friday. Born in Pensacola, Florida, the son of Mary J. Smith and Emmitt James Smith Jr. attended Escambia High School. A prolific runner from an early age, Smith won a state football championship there before accepting a scholarship to the University of Florida. He played three years for the Gators and finished seventh for the Heisman Trophy as a junior before declaring for the 1990 NFL Draft and joining the Dallas Cowboys.
His record-setting career coincides with one of the most integral chapters in the franchise’s rich history, and Smith, in turn, is one of the club’s most decorated icons and beloved stars.
To commemorate Emmitt’s big day, Cowboys Wire has selected the ten games of Smith’s tenure with the team that best tell the story of No. 22.
1. October 7, 1990: Emmitt’s first 100-yard game
Emmitt Smith’s career as a Cowboy got a little stuck coming out of the gate. In Week 1 of 1990, the rookie logged exactly two yards on two carries in a home win over the San Diego Chargers. A week later, 11 yards on six attempts. Smith’s frustration on the sidelines was evident.
But then again, the Cowboys hadn’t even really wanted Smith to begin with. In April’s draft, Dallas had been eyeing Baylor linebacker James Francis. The Bengals got him instead. Their Plan B was Houston linebacker Lamar Lathon. The front office tried to do a deal with the Oilers to move up for him, but Houston declined… and took Lathon for themselves. The Cowboys settled for the running back from Florida they thought was too small and too slow to truly be an effective pro rusher.
But Smith knew he’d be a superstar; the famed to-do list he once wrote announcing his goal of eventually being the all-time rushing champ was proof. And one by one, he was convincing his new Dallas teammates, too.
Offensive guard Crawford Ker had been Smith’s roommate in the early days.
“I told everyone that I was sharing a room with the man who would make Cowboy fans forget about Tony Dorsett,” Ker once said. “Emmitt just wanted a chance to play and show what he could do.”
Dec 30, 1990; Atlanta, GA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith (22) carries the ball against the Atlanta Falcons at Fulton County Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports
That chance came in Week 5 against Tampa Bay. Finally getting a clear-cut lion’s share of the carries over Tommie Agee and Alonzo Highsmith, Smith was a one-man wrecking ball. He rolled up 121 yards on 23 attempts, and while the tape of his first pro touchdown shows quintessential Emmitt, it’s a 16-yard run with three minutes left in regulation that’s worth finding on YouTube. A mix of quick jukes, off-balance jump cuts, and pure power once he hits his stride, it’s the run that gave Smith his first 100-yard outing… and gave the rest of the league a taste of what was to come.
The Cowboys’ 14-10 win that day kickstarted Smith’s rookie campaign in earnest, a season that ended with a Pro Bowl nod and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft has come and gone and the Cowboys seem to have enjoyed a banner day. After Day 1 saw the club bring in more elite offensive weaponry, the defense was fortified on Friday night. The Cowboys staved off the desire to move up …
Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft has come and gone and the Cowboys seem to have enjoyed a banner day. After Day 1 saw the club bring in more elite offensive weaponry, the defense was fortified on Friday night. The Cowboys staved off the desire to move up and ended up adding CB Trevon Diggs (Alabama) and DT Neville Gallimore (Oklahoma) to the mix.
Over the years, the Cowboys have had mixed results in the second and third rounds, which now constitute Day 2 of the three-day draft weekend. Here’s a look at the best and the worst of the hauls.
3 Best Day 2 Hauls
2002: Three Picks, Total AV: 109
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Not many people would think back to 2002 and remember a strong draft class, but it really was thanks to having two second-round selections. Center Andre Gurode from Colorado was selected at No. 37. He played 161 career games and accumulated a Career AV (approximate value, a metric that allows rankings of players across different eras) of 65. With their second pick, Dallas selected the second-to-most recent No. 88, Antonio Bryant. Bryant played on multiple teams, but earned a Career AV of 37.
In the third round, the Cowboys selected cornerback Derek Ross. He appeared in 33 career games with a CAV of 7.
