Emmitt James Smith III (b. May 15, 1969 in Pensacola, Florida) is an American football player.
He starred at the University of Florida, it was there that he became a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1990, becoming an integral part of their three Super Bowl championship teams in four years following the 1992-93 and 1995 seasons.
In high school, Smith amassed 8804 rushing yards and scored 106 TDs. He is the current NFL leader in career rushing yards and the only player in NFL history to rush for over 18,000 yards, breaking Walter Payton's record on October 27, 2002.
On February 27, 2003, Smith volunteered to be released by the Cowboys, rather than put owner Jerry Jones in the awkward position of cutting him. He signed a two-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals on March 26.
He married Patricia Southall on April 22, 2000. Their son, Emmitt IV, was born on Smith's 33rd birthday.
On February 3, 2005 in a very emotional press conference, Smith annouced his retirement, after 15 seasons as a Dallas Cowboy in Jacksonville, Florida three days before Super Bowl XXXIX.
