(Fortune Magazine) -- On a chilly winter day in Dallas, the most prolific running back in National Football League history is being tackled at every turn. As Emmitt Smith climbs into his silver Hummer and heads to lunch, a young woman pulls alongside, powers open her passenger-side window, and, with a syrupy Texas drawl, yells, "I'm soooo proud of you." Minutes later in the restaurant, women of all ages greet him like a favorite son, and men shake his hand with Texas pride.
