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Tim Cowlishaw: Emmitt Smith earns this trip as the best Triplet
12:15 AM CDT on Sunday, August 8, 2010
Column by TIM COWLISHAW / The Dallas Morning News | wtcowlishaw@dallasnews.com
Tim Cowlishaw
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CANTON, Ohio – Last, but not least, the third component of the Cowboys' Triplets checked into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday night. The fact that Emmitt Smith followed Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin here relates merely to the chronology of their retirements, not the relative importance of their contributions.
In a tear-filled, spiritually driven 22-minute speech, Smith talked about writing down his hopes as a football player at age 20 in order to "turn dreams into goals."
He said he wanted to graduate from college, play in a Super Bowl, win an MVP and surpass Walter Payton as the league's all-time leading rusher.
Smith became the 12th Cowboy enshrined here because of a career in which he accomplished all of that and more.
Although Aikman's and Irvin's busts got here first, the winning for which the Cowboys' famed Triplets are remembered – and enshrined – didn't begin until Mr. Smith came to Dallas.
Smith recalled watching the 1990 draft with a disappointment that grew with each passing pick.
"I fell into the bottom half of the top 20. I was down in Pensacola watching the draft with my family, agonizing about why I didn't go in the top 10," Smith said.
Then came the phone call from Jimmy Johnson. Smith said the Cowboys coach, picking 17th, said, "Emmitt, how would you like to wear a star on your helmet?"
We all know what happened after that.
But we have only to guess what heights Smith might have reached, how far on the all-time rushing list he would have climbed, had he been drafted by another team.
Likewise, one can only imagine the Cowboys' fate as a franchise had Johnson achieved his goal that draft day and traded up in the first round for either linebacker James Francis or Lamar Lathon.
In that case, the third leg of the Triplets – at least for that season – could have been Terrence Flagler, the former 49ers back that the Cowboys had acquired just days before the draft.
It's a safe bet the Cowboys might have been a dynasty delayed. Flagler was cut at the end of camp that year, about the time Smith was arriving after the first of two difficult contract negotiations with the Cowboys.
But when Smith finally showed up, things changed.
Drastically.
The Cowboys were 1-15 the year before Smith's arrival. Johnson was viewed as a laughingstock, a college coach out of his natural element. Aikman was a tackling dummy behind a line that offered no protection. Irvin was sidelined with a significant knee injury.
In 1990, when Smith provided a running option the team had missed since trading Herschel Walker months before, Aikman was starting to arrive as a pro quarterback but remained raw. His passer rating that second season was a devilish 66.6.
Irvin, just beginning to return from knee surgery, caught 20 passes that season.
Smith as a rookie was the only member of a 7-9 team invited to the Pro Bowl. Back then, no one was talking about Smith being surrounded by Hall of Fame skill players and Pro Bowl linemen.
The winning began in earnest the following season with an 11-5 record and a playoff upset win in Chicago.
Three Super Bowl victories in the next four seasons made that not only the greatest stretch in Cowboys' history. It put those teams on the same plateau with the best of the Super Bowl era – the Steelers of the '70s, 49ers of the '80s and Patriots of this century.
As Jerry Rice, the game's greatest wide receiver also inducted Saturday night, said, "If not for you, Emmitt, and the rest of the Dallas Cowboys, there would be three more Super Bowl rings on my fingers."
When Smith wasn't rewriting history, he was creating it. No NFL rushing champion had ever won a Super Bowl until Smith did it in 1992.
And 1993. And 1995.
By the time Smith was finished, he had posted a rushing yards total – 18,355 – that will not be surpassed for many years, if ever.
"No one will perform at this position with that kind of production for that length of time again," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, as Smith's presenter. "It's too hard to do."
Smith expressed the proper gratitude toward fullback Daryl Johnston, his offensive linemen, his coaches and, of course, the two previously enshrined members of the best Triplets the Cowboys ever had.
Thanking Aikman for his leadership and focus, Irvin for his passion and work ethic, Smith said, "It has truly been an honor to go to battle with two of the greatest champions I know. Without you, there is no me."
12:15 AM CDT on Sunday, August 8, 2010
Column by TIM COWLISHAW / The Dallas Morning News | wtcowlishaw@dallasnews.com
Tim Cowlishaw
Archive | Blog | E-mail
CANTON, Ohio – Last, but not least, the third component of the Cowboys' Triplets checked into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday night. The fact that Emmitt Smith followed Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin here relates merely to the chronology of their retirements, not the relative importance of their contributions.
In a tear-filled, spiritually driven 22-minute speech, Smith talked about writing down his hopes as a football player at age 20 in order to "turn dreams into goals."
He said he wanted to graduate from college, play in a Super Bowl, win an MVP and surpass Walter Payton as the league's all-time leading rusher.
Smith became the 12th Cowboy enshrined here because of a career in which he accomplished all of that and more.
Although Aikman's and Irvin's busts got here first, the winning for which the Cowboys' famed Triplets are remembered – and enshrined – didn't begin until Mr. Smith came to Dallas.
Smith recalled watching the 1990 draft with a disappointment that grew with each passing pick.
"I fell into the bottom half of the top 20. I was down in Pensacola watching the draft with my family, agonizing about why I didn't go in the top 10," Smith said.
Then came the phone call from Jimmy Johnson. Smith said the Cowboys coach, picking 17th, said, "Emmitt, how would you like to wear a star on your helmet?"
We all know what happened after that.
But we have only to guess what heights Smith might have reached, how far on the all-time rushing list he would have climbed, had he been drafted by another team.
Likewise, one can only imagine the Cowboys' fate as a franchise had Johnson achieved his goal that draft day and traded up in the first round for either linebacker James Francis or Lamar Lathon.
In that case, the third leg of the Triplets – at least for that season – could have been Terrence Flagler, the former 49ers back that the Cowboys had acquired just days before the draft.
It's a safe bet the Cowboys might have been a dynasty delayed. Flagler was cut at the end of camp that year, about the time Smith was arriving after the first of two difficult contract negotiations with the Cowboys.
But when Smith finally showed up, things changed.
Drastically.
The Cowboys were 1-15 the year before Smith's arrival. Johnson was viewed as a laughingstock, a college coach out of his natural element. Aikman was a tackling dummy behind a line that offered no protection. Irvin was sidelined with a significant knee injury.
In 1990, when Smith provided a running option the team had missed since trading Herschel Walker months before, Aikman was starting to arrive as a pro quarterback but remained raw. His passer rating that second season was a devilish 66.6.
Irvin, just beginning to return from knee surgery, caught 20 passes that season.
Smith as a rookie was the only member of a 7-9 team invited to the Pro Bowl. Back then, no one was talking about Smith being surrounded by Hall of Fame skill players and Pro Bowl linemen.
The winning began in earnest the following season with an 11-5 record and a playoff upset win in Chicago.
Three Super Bowl victories in the next four seasons made that not only the greatest stretch in Cowboys' history. It put those teams on the same plateau with the best of the Super Bowl era – the Steelers of the '70s, 49ers of the '80s and Patriots of this century.
As Jerry Rice, the game's greatest wide receiver also inducted Saturday night, said, "If not for you, Emmitt, and the rest of the Dallas Cowboys, there would be three more Super Bowl rings on my fingers."
When Smith wasn't rewriting history, he was creating it. No NFL rushing champion had ever won a Super Bowl until Smith did it in 1992.
And 1993. And 1995.
By the time Smith was finished, he had posted a rushing yards total – 18,355 – that will not be surpassed for many years, if ever.
"No one will perform at this position with that kind of production for that length of time again," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, as Smith's presenter. "It's too hard to do."
Smith expressed the proper gratitude toward fullback Daryl Johnston, his offensive linemen, his coaches and, of course, the two previously enshrined members of the best Triplets the Cowboys ever had.
Thanking Aikman for his leadership and focus, Irvin for his passion and work ethic, Smith said, "It has truly been an honor to go to battle with two of the greatest champions I know. Without you, there is no me."
