Blue Star Speaks With Hall of Fame Running Back Emmitt Smith

Blue-Star had the opportunity this afternoon to speak with Hall of Famer and all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith, to discuss the current state of the Dallas Cowboys, the ever-evolving playoff picture, and the Hershey’s Pro Football Hall of Fame sweepstakes, which Smith is currently promoting.

“Fans can enter at Hersheys.com," Smith told me, "and the grand prize winner and three of their friends will be hosted by me, at the 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony in Canton."

Additionally, these four lucky fans will have the opportunity to see their likenesses reflected in a Hall of Fame-like bust, only made of sweet, delicious Hershey’s chocolate. Twenty first-prize winners will receive Hall of Fame Collectors’ Edition footballs signed by Smith; 100 second prize winners will receive a $100 Pro Football Hall of Fame gift card.

Smith, who played with Jason Garrett in Dallas, said that he believes the team bringing Garrett back as head coach was a positive for the team, and alluded to Garrett’s presence on the early-90s teams run by Jimmy Johnson, a coach who, of course, Smith holds in high regard.

“I think it’s a good thing for the Dallas Cowboys,” Smith said of Garrett’s signing. “This is a guy who has been around the game for a long time, was [in Dallas] to see the way Jimmy [Johnson] did things, a very organized guy.”

I asked Smith what he thought of the Cowboys’ current situation at running back which, as I told him, seemed to me to be a “jumbled mess” at times in 2010, with the team unsure, really, of what to do with the three backs--Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice--on the roster:

“I agree with you 100 percent there,” Smith said. “The Cowboys know they have three good running backs and the problem is that you can only use one of them at a time.”

Smith continued that, though he sees some benefit in keeping all three of the backs currently on the roster, that could present an “expensive proposition.”

Emmitt Smith’s take on this week’s slate of playoff match-ups, in a sentence (or two):


Baltimore @ Pittsburgh: “Now if you want to see some old school football, this is the game to watch.”

Seattle @ Chicago: “To me, the only interest I have in this game is that it’s in Chicago and the weather could play a part in it. Other than that, this game really has no interest for me.”

Green Bay @ Atlanta:
“Green Bay’s running game is stepping up now, and with that, they’re going to be a tough team to beat.”

New York @ New England: “That’s a game where there’s been a lot of talk around it, and that won’t mean a hill of beans come Sunday.”

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