18,355 -- The Emmitt Smith HOF Appreciation Thread

[FINtastic]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Especially in the era of platoon backs...

Exactly. The workhorse running back is a dying breed given that the league is shifting to platoon backs and a more passing-oriented game. When you combine that with the fact that Emmitt was a freak when it came to durability, it's hard to see anyone else putting up 18,000+ yards ever again.

[alexamenos]

Originally Posted by FINtastic

Exactly. The workhorse running back is a dying breed given that the league is shifting to platoon backs and a more passing-oriented game. When you combine that with the fact that Emmitt was a freak when it came to durability, it's hard to see anyone else putting up 18,000+ yards ever again.

Along the same line of thought....

1) Emmitt was extraordinary at squeezing every yard out of a carry. I've long held that the greatest aspect of Emmitt's game was his ability to consistently turn 2 yard plays into 3 or 3 1/2 yard plays. It was never flashy, but that amazingly consistent knack for finishing off runs, multiplied by 4,000+ career carries, is the difference between 18,355 career yards and number 3 or 4 on the list of all-time rushers;

2) Emmitt's ability in the passing game is part of the reason he's number 1. He had good hands and was a helluva blocker. The fact that his presence on the field enhanced the passing game opened up the lead draw, a play the 90's cowboys must have run (successfully) about a bazillion times. That lead draw was the source of a very significant chunk of his 18.4k yards.

(Also, we can thank Emmitt for the notable careers of Alvin Harper and Jay Novacek...)

Emmitt's greatness was of the boring, grinding variety. A lot of other backs were better athletes, had more spectacular plays, games and seasons....but inarguably no other back had a career that matches Emmitt's.