Emmitt Smith vs. Jerry Jones | The Most Unforgettable Holdout Battle In NFL History

[Music] when the Dallas Cowboys arrived for training camp in the summer of 1993 the reigning Super Bowl champions had all the makings of a dynasty all the pieces were there well on paper that is because as the preseason got underway EMT Smith the backbone of Dallas's Mighty running game was nowhere to be found and the NFL's leading rusher for two seasons in a row wasn't going to report to Camp until he had a contract that he felt was fair unfortunately for him however he was negotiating against Jerry Jones and what ensued was one of the most memorable contract disputes in NFL [Music] history it should come as no surprise that EMT Smith the NFL's all-time leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns was an absolute stud from day one when he broke into the NFL in 1990 following a tremendous three-year run of Florida Smith immediately became a key cog for a Cowboys team in the early stages of a Renaissance a team that had won just four games combined over the previous two seasons with Smith in the backfield though the Cowboys transformed into a juggernaut as a rookie Smith racked up nearly a th000 rushing yards and scored 11 touchdowns for a much improved Cowboys team by his sophomore season he was the NFL's leading rusher and recorded more touches than any other player in the league and in 1992 he not only repeated as the NFL's top rusher but he he also scored a league leading 18 rushing touchdowns for the best Cowboys team ever assembled that year after making significant strides in each of the previous two seasons the Cowboys won a franchise record 13 games excelling on both sides of the ball on route to the second best record in the NFL and nobody could touch them in the playoffs the Cowboys thumped the Eagles by 24 points in the divisional round and with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line the following Sunday the Cowboys outclassed the mighty 49ers the only team that managed a best record during the regular season Smith by the way was a huge part of those wins eclipsing 110 rushing yards in both of those games while accounting for three total touchdowns and in Super Bowl 27 the Cowboys first trip to the big dance in 15 years Smith was spectacular once again he racked up 108 rushing yards another 27 receiving yards and punched in a late score to complete a historic shellacking of the Buffalo Bills who found themselves on the losing end of the Super Bowl for a third straight year and they'd lose it again the following year anyway the Cowboys at long last were back on top Super Bowl champions just 3 years after finishing 1 in 15 it was nothing short of an astonishing turnaround and with their core of offensive Superstars like Smith Troy Aman and Michael Irvin the Cowboys look poised to dominate for years to come not so fast though because when training camp rolled around for the 93 season Smith was Mia see after leading the league in rushing in back-to-back Seasons Smith wanted to be paid accordingly and in an effort to get himself a raise he he held out now holdouts are a common practice in the NFL and have been for a long time but Smith's hold out was different for a couple reasons for starters the Cowboys just won the Super Bowl and secondly the man Smith was playing chicken with was Jerry Jones and here's the thing you need to know about Jerry Jones the most visible and Hands-On owner in the NFL he's a control freak with an ego the size of Texas and his aversion to seating power or even looking weak has led to some egregious Personnel decisions over the years none more famous than his Ting of head coach Jimmy Johnson after he' LED this very Cowboys team through the most prosperous stretch in franchise history but before he alienated Johnson Jones found himself in this highly public contract dispute with Smith and neither party was Cav Smith wanted Thurman Thomas money the Buffalo Bill Superstar had just signed a 4-year contract worth $13.5 million making him the highest paid running back in the NFL well that contract with its average annual salary of almost 3.4 million was Smith's Floor in neg NE iations but Jones didn't want to Pony up as July flipped to August he reportedly remained firm on his offer of a $2.4 million salary the Cowboys by the way used their fourth round pick in that year's draft on Alabama running back Derek lassic which Jones figured gave him leverage in negotiations only it didn't the preseason came and went and Smith remained at home in Pensacola Florida he wasn't budging and when the Cowboys open their regular season schedule on the road in Washington Smith was sitting at home watching as his team the reigning Champs got pummeled the Cowboys lost by 19 points in week one committing four turnovers and losing the time of possession battle in a sobering defeat and neither of their two scores by the way came on the ground and things only got worse in week two in their home opener the Cowboys offense was even more punchless mustering just 10 points in a loss to Buffalo and lassic was a huge part of the problem the rookie running back managed just 52 yards on 19 carries and fumbled twice not only did the fans start booing him but in a fit of rage following the cowboy second straight defeat lass's own teammate put him on blast after Dallas fell to 0 and2 Charles Haley an eventual Hall of Famer and five-time Super Bowl champion put his helmet through a locker room wall and famously said we can't win with this rookie and that was that the last STW with Dallas off to their worst start since ' 89 and the frustration boiling over in the Cowboys locker room Jones swallowed his pride and caved days ahead of their week three matchup against the Cardinals the cowboy reached an agreement with their Superstar Smith was getting a 4-year contract worth $13.6 million making him the highest paid running back in the NFL much of that money was front-loaded by the way to help the Cowboys manage the salary cap that was to be introduced in 1994 in any event though Smith's resolve had paid off handsomely and Jones plainly admitted that the loss to the bills had swung to borrow his words The Leverage pendulum but while Jones may have initially resented paying Smith as much as he did that investment would pay off in a big way and immediately in his first game back albeit on a limited snap count Smith averaged more than 5.6 yards per carry in a Cowboys Victory two weeks later Smith helped the Cowboys get back to 500 with his first touchdown of the season the following Sunday he hit 100 rushing yards for the first time that season in a Beatdown of the Colts and shortly thereafter he delivered one of the most incredible performances by a running back in NFL history rushing for 237 yards and a touchdown in a victory over Philly Smith wasn't just back he was better than ever over his final 10 games in 93 Smith averaged 117 rushing yards another 34 receiving yards and accounted for seven touchdowns by season's end despite missing Dallas's first two games Smith led the league in rushing yards for a third straight year and for the first time in his career he also led the league in yards from scrimmage and with Smith in the lineup the Cowboys went 12-2 powering their way to a second straight NFC East title for salvaging Dallas this season Smith was named League MVP making him just the second running back since 85 to win the award the other Thurman Thomas but Smith's remarkable season didn't end there for a second straight year the Cowboys bullied their way into the Super Bowl and for a second straight year they were opposed by the bills but while it was Aman and Dallas's defense that stole the show in Super Bowl 27 it was Smith who destroyed Buffalo's dreams in Super Bowl 28 the MVP touched the ball a whopping 34 times against the bills racking up 132 rushing yards 26 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns in another commanding Dallas Victory and in lifting the Cowboys to back-to-back Super Bowl titles Smith became at the time just the fourth player ever to be named regular season MVP and Super Bowl MVP in the same year today more than 30 years later a total of seven players have accomplished both Feats in the same season but Smith Remains the only non-quarterback to do it so yeah I think it's safe to say that Jones's money was well spent and Jerry in case you're watching this next time a future Inner Circle Hall of Famer comes to you to renegotiate his contract maybe just pay the out thanks for watching if you like this video and want to see more content like this hit that subscribe button