http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1981383

Quite surprising of sorts since I had heard weeks ago that he was coming back for one more season.

The all-time leading rushing back in NFL history better polish up his speech when he gets inducted at Canton in the Class of 2010.....

Any thoughts, observations, jeers(especially from you Buffalo fans)?

Emmitt Smith is one of the all time greats in my opinion. It's never easy to see one of your favorites retire, but in my opinion I think he has seen his better days. It's better to go out in grace then on a stretcher due to a career ending injury.

Couldn't agree more, Beth E. Emmitt is a classy guy who never seemed to get involved in the shenanigans of his Dallas teammates. The knock on Emmitt was that he wouldn't have gotten those yards without the great offensive line. But you can say that about anybody. He happened to be in a great situation and made the best of it during Dallas' heyday. Dallas wouldn't have won a thing without him.

He did hang on too long, but you can't blame a guy for having some fire left in his belly. Jerry Rice, on the other hand, is taking it too far...

I agree about Jerry Rice. He will always be linked to the fabulous 49'ers years with Montana and Young. But his time has been up a long time ago. Buh, Bye Jerry.

I agree. But he's been off the 49ers at least 4 or 5 years now. Nothing will ever erase his accomplishments and what he contributed, but 4 years is a long time to diminish your best days. Granted, he did have 1 good year in Oakland. But he has nothing else to play for: he has the rings, awards, records, and the money.

I just heard on ESPN that Emmitt says he's not retiring. He pointed to his stats last year, and says he's not ready to pack it in.

Why shouldn't Jerry Rice keep playing? Sure, he's past his prime, but he continues to play because wants to. He doesn't have to prove anything to anybody. He loves the game, and I think it's great that he still plays.

He's a shell of the player he used to be. If he loves the game so much, which I do not doubt, he should look to stay in the game in another capacity. The longer he stays in and plays on a subpar level, the more it will tarnish his many accomplishments. It's obvious he's a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but there's something to be said about going out on top. And it's clear that Rice is nowhere near the top WR in the league, a #3 WR on any depth chart at best.

I agree with Freddie C.

There's no charity in pro football. If he wants to keep playing, and he's good enough to beat out the other candidates for a spot on a team, then let him play.

No team is gonna keep him if they have a better option, even if it is only as a #3 WR.

Same for Emmitt Smoth. he was having a pretty good year last year until he got hurt after about 10 games or so.

Superstars like Smith and Rice, even at 50% of their former selves, can still be better players than a lot of players who are at 100% of their present selves.

Plaw, according to an article in todays NY Post, Smith says that he will be back for another season. The Daily News reported his retirement while the New York Post reported that he is coming back!

Don Cardi

Well all those will he/won't he retire questions are officially answered Emmitt Smith one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game has called it quits.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Emmitt Smith decided to stop running. There was nothing left to prove, no records left to chase.

Breaking down in tears and grasping his beloved Dallas Cowboys helmet, Smith retired Thursday after a 15-year career in which he became the NFL's career rushing leader and played a key role on three Super Bowl champions.


The decision had been expected for several days, but the finality of it all was still poignant. Flanked by his wife, Pat, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Smith thanked a list of people several pages long - everyone from his Pee Wee football coaches to longtime Dallas fullback Daryl "Moose" Johnston, the fierce blocker who cleared so many holes for No. 22.

"It's been a tremendous ride," said Smith, who spent his final two years with the Arizona Cardinals after 13 seasons in Big D. "My 15 years, my 15 minutes of fame, is up."

Not quite.




There's one more stop - Canton, Ohio.

"I'm going to be biased when you ask who's the greatest running back of all time," Johnston said. "You can probably make a case for eight to 10 guys. But for me, it's always been Emmitt."

The 35-year-old Smith ran for 18,355 yards and 164 touchdowns in his career, both NFL records. He closed it out by running for 937 yards and nine touchdowns in Arizona this season.

Former Giants linebacker Pepper Johnson still remembers the determined rookie who came out of Florida in 1990.

"I saw a guy with the eye of a demon, a guy that ran the ball with a passion, a guy that had great vision and a small guy that didn't play small," said Johnson, now an assistant coach with the New England Patriots. "I remember him picking me up on a blitz and when he hit me, he was like, 'Oh Pepper, I shocked you on that, didn't I?"'

Smith was more consistent than he was spectacular, a running back who could be relied on to get tough yards when tough yards were needed.

He rushed for 1,000 yards or more every year between 1991 and 2001. He led the NFL in rushing from 1991-93, then again in 1995. He also paced the league in touchdowns three times.


Poll

But despite his impressive statistics, he won just two major awards in 15 seasons - NFL MVP in 1993 and the Super Bowl MVP that same season, when he rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns in the Cowboys' 30-13 win over Buffalo. He also had perhaps his greatest game with a separated shoulder, rushing for 229 yards in a crucial victory over the New York Giants.

"Emmitt has never forgot he was part of a team and what the team meant," Jones said. "Your place in our franchise has always been secure."

It was only appropriate that Smith retired at the Super Bowl, having been part of Dallas' glorious run in the 1990s - three championships in four years with a team featuring Smith, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin.

Many were shocked when Smith left Dallas after the 2002 season, deciding to extend a career that was clearly past its prime. He finished up in a red-birded helmet, playing in a half-filled stadium in the sweltering Arizona desert.

"There were a lot of people, including myself, who didn't want him to go," said Darren Woodson, a longtime teammate in Dallas. "I told him a few times, 'Let's think about this before you do it.' But he had it set in his mind that he wanted to prove he had something left in the tank."

Plagued by injuries, Smith rushed for a career-low 256 yards in 2003, averaging a meager 2.8 yards per carry. He bounced back to have a respectable season, but the Cardinals still missed the playoffs with a 6-10 record.

Smith said he had no regrets, other than failing to meet his goal of leading Arizona to the playoffs. He acknowledged Cardinals coach Dennis Green, one of several hundred people who crowded the room for Smith's retirement.

"I want to thank the Cardinals for letting me play two more years," he said. "I padded that record. That does mean a lot to me."

Arizona hastened Smith's retirement by telling him that he wouldn't be back for next season. Like Dallas two years earlier, the Cardinals wanted to go with their younger backs.

"That made my decision a whole lot easier," he said, adding that he turned down offers to continue his career elsewhere. "I have a home. It's with my family."

Two names stood out on Smith's lengthy thank-you list. There was Jones, mocked by some for drafting a 5-foot-9{ running back who didn't exactly blow people away with his speed. And Johnston, a close friend who stood along a wall during the retirement announcement.

"Daryl, I love you to death," Smith said, dabbing at his tears with a tissue. "You've been there through thick and thin. I don't know why, but every time I think of you, I always break down."

Smith wasn't happy about leaving Dallas two years ago, but any hard feelings toward his former employer have clearly thawed. Dallas plans to sign Smith to a one-day contract, so he can officially retire as a Cowboy.

"You don't know how much this star really means to me," Smith said, breaking down as he placed his left hand on one of two Dallas helmets on the dais.

Wearing a pinstripe suit - blue, of course - Smith said he'll pursue some business opportunities. But he also vowed to stay close to the game and give something back to the fans.

"I'm moving on to another chapter in my life," he said. "That's a chapter I'm looking forward to."


He's suppose to sign a one day contract with Dallas so he can officially retire with the team he started his remarkable career with.

I was never a huge Emmitt fan when he was younger, mainly because I always thought Barry was better and I hated the Cowboys. But now that I look back on his career, Emmitt was always such a class act and was a great ambassador for the game. He will definitely go down as one of the top 4 RBs of all time, along with Brown, Payton, and Sanders.

His career has come full circle. He rushed for 937 yards as a rookie in 1990, and he rushed for 937 yards this past season. It's fitting that he ends his career on that note.

The Pro Football HOF class of 2010 will be a doozie. Emmitt is in, and if Rice and Favre retire, they're in too. Tim Brown is hanging up his cleats as well, and he should be a first ballot HOFer, and if the Bus calls it quits (I hope he doesn't), then he should round out the class (no pun intended). That might end up being the best HOF class ever.

I did not know that. That is really cool.

Yeah, I'm a stats geek, so when I heard that he rushed for 937 this past season, I knew that sounded familiar. So I looked up his career stats and the yardage was the same from 1990.

Don Corpuzzi- That's an amazing statistic! It sounds like one of those things that was just meant to be. And much like yourself, I was not a huge Emmitt fan during his glory days in Dallas. I hated Aikman, Irvin and the Cowboys. But Emmitt did always stand out as a class act. This guy never had amazing speed or break-tackle ability, but had incredible vision and durability. He is without a doubt one of the top 5 running backs of all time.

Emmitt only played with the Cards to cushion his record.