Emmitt Smith

High school

Escambia High School

College

University of Florida

Pro team(s)

Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals

Hall of Fame

⭐ Pro Football Hall of Fame

Emmitt James Smith III was born on May 15, 1969, in Pensacola, Florida, and grew up in Pensacola, attending Escambia High School, where he rushed for 8,804 yards and 106 touchdowns in his high school career — numbers that announced his arrival to every major college program in the country. He chose the University of Florida, where he was a consensus All-American before leaving after his junior season for the 1990 NFL Draft, selected 17th overall by the Dallas Cowboys. What followed was the greatest rushing career in NFL history: 18,355 career yards, a record that still stands, accumulated over 15 seasons with the Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals. He won three Super Bowl championships with Dallas (Super Bowl XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX) and the Super Bowl XXVIII MVP award. He was the NFL rushing champion three times (1991, 1992, 1995) and was named the league's MVP in 1993. His partnership with quarterback Troy Aikman and receiver Michael Irvin — "The Triplets" — formed the offensive core of one of the most celebrated dynasties in NFL history. In the iconic image of his career, he played through a separated shoulder in a must-win regular season game in 1993, carried the Cowboys to victory, and then wept on the field after the final whistle in one of professional football's most emotional moments. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010 in his first year of eligibility. Born and raised in Pensacola, Florida.