Emmit James Smith III was born on May 15, 1969, in Pensacola, Florida. Since his father had the same name, he was distinguished by the nickname Scoey. His first name acquired an extra "T" due to a misspelling on a school paper, which he decided he actually liked. He started playing football using Salvation Army facilities as a young child and took it up seriously at Escambia High School, where he rushed for a hundred yards in forty-five games, setting a record which is still unbroken. Smith amassed a total of 8,804 rushing yards and 106 touchdowns before graduating and moving on to the University of Florida in Miami, where he set the single game rushing record in his very first game.
In college, Smith joined the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. While there, he set fifty-eight school records. He left after his junior year with 3,928 rushing yards and thirty-six touchdowns, and was subsequently snapped up by the Dallas Cowboys. There his talent assured him a place in the three Superbowl teams of 1992, 1993, and 1994. In these, he rushed seventy-one times for 289 yards, caught eleven passes for 56 yards, and scored a total of five touchdowns, the latter setting a Superbowl record. He became one of only three players (and the only non-kicker) in the Cowboys' history to achieve three career hundred point seasons. In 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1995 Smith led the NFL in rushing. He was MVP of the league in 1993 and MVP of Superbowl XXVIII. In 2002, he passed his childhood idol Walter Payton to become the leading running back in NFL history, with Smith’s total at the end of that season reaching 17,162 yards on 4,052 carries with 153 touchdowns. By the end of his career, Smith had rushed over 18,000 yards.
In 2003, Smith volunteered to end his contract with the Cowboys, thereby avoiding putting them under pressure in relation to his salary. He spent his final two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, where he remained on record-breaking form. He also completed his first career pass, against New Orleans. Such was the respect Smith earned as a player, that Jerry Jones offered him a one day contract so that he could finish his career where he started it, as a Dallas Cowboy. He has since been inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor.
Since his retirement, Smith has discovered a new vocation as an NFL studio analyst. He has also written an autobiography (with ghostwriter Stephen Delsohn), titled The Emmitt Zone, and he has made several television appearances, becoming a celebrity contestant on season three of Dancing With The Stars and winning the competition. He competed against Mario Lopez, Joey Lawrence, Monique Coleman, Jerry Springer, Sara Evans, Willa Ford, Vivica A Fox, Harry Hamlin, Shana Moakler, and Tucker Carlson. Smith is married to former Miss Virginia Patricia Southall, the ex-wife of comedian Martin Lawrence, and the couple has a son, Emmitt Smith IV. He also has a daughter, Rheagen, by his ex-girlfriend Hope Wilson.
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