Growing up as a Dallas Cowboys fan, I have had the chance to watch the team in the ‘90s, a team that included Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and my favorite player of all time, Emmitt Smith.

Needless to say when I was watching ESPN and Emmitt announced his retirement, it was a sad day that I will never forget.

In 1990, the Dallas Cowboys took a chance on a small running back from Florida University, a running back who many scouts believed was to small and not quick enough to make it in the NFL, since 21 different NFL teams passed on him. This was a running back who ran a 40-yard-dash in the 4.6’s. Too slow, will never be able to out run anyone.

Three Super Bowls and 18,355 yards later, boy did Smith sure prove everyone wrong.

In his first season in Dallas, Smith rushed for 937 yards and 11 touchdowns and was named A.P.’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. Now, remember this was from the running back who was considered to slow and not big enough.

All Smith seemed to do throughout his career was prove people wrong and play hard. I will never forget the overtime game against the New York Giants in 1993 that the Cowboys won 16-13, how Smith played despite his shoulder being separated.

He had to have his teammates pick him up play after play just to make it back to the huddle. After the shoulder injury, Smith gained 78 yards on 17runs/catches. He would go on to finish the game with 229 rushing yards.

Another one of my favorite Smith games was Super Bowl XXVIII in 1993, against the Buffalo Bills. The Cowboys were looking to win back-to-back Super Bowls but trailed the Bills 13-6 at the half.  All the Cowboys did in the second quarter was keep handing the ball off to Smith. He was unstoppable. The Bills could not slow him down.

Smith would go on to be named the Super Bowl MVP after finishing the game with 132 yards on 30 carries. The most impressive part was that 92 of the 132 yards were gained in the second half.

These were the types of games that Cowboys fans were used to with no. 22 waiting in the backfield. There were so many other games that remember that I nearly jumped through the ceiling.

So just how special was Smith’s career? And where does he rank among all the other legendary NFL running backs?

He rushed for 1,000 yards or more every year between the 1991 season and the 2001 season. He led the league in rushing from 1991-1993 and again in 1995, his last Super Bowl appearance. Smith also led the league in touchdowns three different seasons. He was also named the NFL MVP in 1993, the same year as his Super Bowl MVP award. Smith also is second in total career touchdowns and number 1 in career rushing touchdowns. Again, let me remind you that he was supposed to be too slow, too small and never was going to make it in the NFL. I wonder how dumb some of those NFL teams and scouts feel that passed on Smith.

Now what has to be the greatest moment of Smith’s career? In my opinion, it had to be the game against the Seattle Seahawks in 2002.  It was second-and-seven from the Dallas 30-yard line with 9:28 left in the fourth quarter at Texas Stadium. Number 22 took the handoff and ran 11 yards up the middle and past the great Walter Payton and his 16,726 rushing yards, becoming the new NFL All-Time Leading Rusher. I still can recall that game as if I just watched it yesterday.

To see the tears in his eyes, you just knew how important the record was to this special player. That milestone-18, 355 yards- is a lot of yards to reach for one player who takes such a beating every weekend.

In the future, I feel that there will be another player like Smith. Players who will have the guts, the heart and the love for the game of football and will probably break his record. It was so special for me to see, because like so many other Cowboy’s fans, I had the chance to watch him play his entire career. It is something I know I will never forget. When I get older, I will have the chance to tell my kids that I got to watch one of the greatest running backs in NFL history play the game. I’ll tell them stories about his career, and how I had the chance to watch him and the team of the ’90s just like my dad told me stories about the Cowboys of the 70s, and the stories of Staubach too Pearson.