Emmitt Smith is arguably the greatest running back in NFL history with a resume that's unparalleled. The NFL's all-time leading rusher with 18,355 yards, Smith is the only player to amass 17,000 career rushing yards. He led the NFL in rushing yards four times (in a five-year span) and rushing touchdowns three times (in a four-year span).
Smith leads all running backs in career rushing touchdowns (164) and is second in NFL history in touchdowns scored (175) -- only Jerry Rice has more with 208. Smith is the only player to post three seasons with 19 or more touchdowns, and holds the NFL record for the most games in a season with a touchdown and the most games in a season with a rushing touchdown (15) -- which he set in 1995. Smith and Rice are the only two non-kickers in NFL history to score 1,000 career points.
A member of the All-Decade Team of the 1990s, Smith rushed for 1,000 yards in a season an NFL-record 11 consecutive times. The 1993 NFL MVP, Smith was an All-Pro four times and made the Pro Bowl eight times. Smith's postseason success can not be ignored, as he holds NFL records for career rushing yards (1,586), rushing touchdowns (19), consecutive games with a rushing touchdown (nine), and 100-yard rushing games (seven).
In a one-on-one interview with CBS Sports, Smith discussed the Dallas Cowboys' offseason and whether they are set to break that Super Bowl championship drought.
Even though the Cowboys drafted Deuce Vaughn, do you think they should entertain bringing Ezekiel Elliott back?
Smith: "Oh no doubt. As a matter of fact, I was extremely disappointed that they allowed Zeke to leave. Because of the injury to Tony Pollard, I thought they would keep both of those guys back there and would have been able to give them some time to see how Pollard bounced back.
"I know for a fact as a running back, when you sustain an injury like Tony Pollard has -- the question is can you come back? As a runner, I need my legs. And I need my legs to function the way that they used to function.
"Will he come back the same? I don't know, I'm praying that he does. I wanna see the young man have a long, prosperous career. That's No. 1. No. 2 -- I just wanna see him back on the football field because he's such an exciting football player.
"Having a backup or a starter like Zeke in the interim would have been one of things that I would have thought about. The Cowboys are business people and Zeke understands that, but you gotta strike when the iron is hot and get compensated for your value. When you're not, people shift you out."
Do you think Jerry Jones has changed his philosophy of team building, roster building since you've been there?
Smith: "There has been a change. Of course when I was there it was the very beginning. When you look at what he and Jimmy (Johnson) was able to build in the four-five years they've been together, that took a bit of time and a whole lot of foresight. That talent came through draft choices and decisions that they've made collectively.
"Since Jimmy left, there's been a renaissance if you will to try to get back to that level."
Dak Prescott got a lot of flak last year, some deserved and some undeserved. What do you think he has to do to take his game to the next level?
Smith: "Owning the offense and being able to dictate the defense through your ability to know where the ball should be going before the play, but (he also) has to manipulate the defense in terms of how he approaches the game and how he sees the game before he throws the ball.
"Quarterbacks have the ability to look players off and look defenses off and dictate what's happening. They can get rid of the ball quickly and do it in an accurate way. That's what made Tom Brady so good, that's what made Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers so good. That's what made them different. Their ability to know their offense, not just inside and out but manipulate players in the process of their reading capabilities of what the defense is doing.
"That's one of the things I look for in every quarterback and whether or not he's growing into that role -- you have to know that offense like the fingerprints on your hand. You get a chance to break the scab on your skin and you know it's coming back. You get a chance to manipulate a defense the way that you want to and take advantage of that skill set and act on it.
"As a runner, that's what I always used to do. My job was to make a defense do something that I wasn't planning on doing!"
Is there any running back in the league today that reminds you of when you played? You know, a little bit of Emmitt in them?
Smith: "There's a number of running backs that has a little bit of Emmitt Smith in them. We all share the same position. They gotta have vision, they gotta have quickness, have that agility to make the jump cuts and be able to block -- all those kind of things.
"I think there's a little bit of me in the history of every running back. Physical sizes might not be there, but we all have something in common. We're crazy enough just to be able to run the ball (laughing)."
The Cowboys are still one of the best teams in the NFC and one of the best in the NFL. Do you think they can catch or pass the Eagles this year? Did the gap widen?
Smith: "When you have a team that's built the way Philadelphia is, it's all about the chemistry that is developed during this time of the year. It's the most underrated thing most people don't analyze. Everybody wants to look at everything on the surface and say they look good on paper. If these athletes don't come together for the common good of the entire team, it's pretty much minute.
"I don't care how good of a team you have, if the other team is clicking on all cylinders and doing all the little things to make the big things happen -- that's when teams rise up like the Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals did a couple years ago. The Eagles were the most consistent team with the most consistent play all season long, and rode that all the way to the Super Bowl.
"This is why when you look at the Eagles and say everything they've done this year -- they should be better. They should be even better than last year, and if that's the case everybody should be on the lookout.
"They were solid last year. That's a tribute to the head coach and the leadership of the Eagles football player who understand the priorities, the mission and being committed to the mission. They eliminated anything that could hinder that mission. That's great leadership."
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A Dallas Cowboys legend who graced the NFL for 15 years, Smith has ventured into a new chapter in his post-playing days. Partnered with Tequila Herradura -- the official tequila of the 2023 Kentucky Derby -- Smith discovered the product when he was gracing the television screen on "Dancing with the Stars" and the relationship grew ever since.
"This week is a very special week for me," Smith said. "My youngest niece is an equestrian and we were invited to see the Kentucky Derby as a result of the partnership. Why not have one of the finest, highest premium tequilas available on the marketplace while enjoying the race?"
