Emmitt Smith
He became the NFL's all-time leading rusher not with flashy speed, but through relentless durability and a nose for the goal line.
Born 1969 (age 57)·American football player·Birthday: May 15·Generation X
Biography
Emmitt Smith surpassed Walter Payton's rushing record in 2002, finishing his career as the NFL's all-time leading rusher. Drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1990, he became the engine of a team that won three Super Bowls in the early '90s. His style combined a low center of gravity, exceptional vision, and an uncanny ability to fall forward for extra yards. While other backs burned brighter, his consistency was his superpower. He grew up in Pensacola, Florida, broke records at the University of Florida, and spent most of his career with the Cowboys before concluding with the Arizona Cardinals. He was the ultimate workhorse.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Emmitt was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Emmitt Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Emmitt's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the NFL's all-time leading rusher with 18,355 career yards, a record he still holds.
- Won three Super Bowl championships with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s.
- Was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1993, the same season he won the Super Bowl and its MVP award.
- Earned eight Pro Bowl selections and four First-Team All-Pro honors over his 15-season career.
Did You Know?
He won the NFL rushing title in 1991, 1992, and 1993, the first player to do so three years in a row.
Smith is a skilled ballroom dancer and won the third season of 'Dancing with the Stars' in 2006.
He famously played a crucial game against the New York Giants in 1993 with a separated shoulder, rushing for 168 yards.
His jersey number 22 was retired by the Dallas Cowboys in 2005.
“All men are created equal, some work harder in the preseason.”
