Interesting Emmitt Smith Fact

[T-RO]

Most of us know that running backs don’t age well. Six years of premium productivity is usually the best you can expect.

The one guy we think of as an exception is Emmitt. Damn, the guy played 15 seasons!

Out of curiosity I wanted to work up some numbers. How did Emmitt do after his first six years in comparison to the earlier part of his career?

1990-1995...4.5 yards per carry...First 6 seasons
1996-2004...3.9 yards per carry...Next 9 seasons

Hmmm....

 

[CowboyRoy]

Most of us know that running backs don’t age well. Six years of premium productivity is usually the best you can expect.

The one guy we think of as an exception is Emmitt. Damn, the guy played 15 seasons!

Out of curiosity I wanted to work up some numbers. How did Emmitt do after his first six years in comparison to the earlier part of his career?

1990-1995...4.5 yards per carry...First 6 seasons
1996-2004...3.9 yards per carry...Next 9 seasons

Hmmm....

completely biased comparison. What did he do season 7-9? How about that?

 

[Garrettop]

He was the entire offense for many of those later years. Hard to get yards in that position.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

Barry Sanders first 5 years: 4.7 ypa
Barry Sanders final 5 years: 5.2 ypa

Huh...

He was the entire offense for many of those later years. Hard to get yards in that position.

Yeah, Barry probably wouldn't know anything about that.

 

[RoboQB]

Most of us know that running backs don’t age well. Six years of premium productivity is usually the best you can expect.

The one guy we think of as an exception is Emmitt. Damn, the guy played 15 seasons!

Out of curiosity I wanted to work up some numbers. How did Emmitt do after his first six years in comparison to the earlier part of his career?

1990-1995...4.5 yards per carry...First 6 seasons
1996-2004...3.9 yards per carry...Next 9 seasons

Hmmm....

Probably not fair to include those last two years on a terrible Cardinals team
who had one of the worst offensive lines in the league.

 

[Northern_Cowboy]

completely biased comparison. What did he do season 7-9? How about that?

Smiths years 7-11 his YPC average was 4.1, still very good on some very bad teams and in year 7 he had a bad season as far as YPC goes he only averaged 3.7 but in years 8-11 he averaged 4.1, 4.2, 4.2 and 4.1, solid numbers

 

[jazzcat22]

All I know is Emmitt helped us win 3 SB's and is the best RB in NFL history.
Any stats, no matter how they are figured, 5 years, 8 years, 10 years. Missed 2 games and most of a 3rd game in 1993, but yet still won the rushing title.
But in the end it all adds up to 18,355 yards, 164 TD's, 515 receptions for 3224 yards and 11 TD's, 3 SB wins

 

[ghst187]

All I know is Emmitt helped us win 3 SB's and is the best RB in NFL history.
Any stats, no matter how they are figured, 5 years, 8 years, 10 years. Missed 2 games and most of a 3rd game in 1993, but yet still won the rushing title.
But in the end it all adds up to 18,355 yards, 164 TD's, 515 receptions for 3224 yards and 11 TD's, 3 SB wins

Someone could argue that someone else was a better pure RB but Emmitt is one of the all time greatest players at any position.

 

[jazzcat22]

Someone could argue that someone else was a better pure RB but Emmitt is one of the all time greatest players at any position.

Yes they always argue that. However, RB means RB, as in what do you do to help your TEAM. So throw out that pure RB crap.
Maybe say "Barry" was a better runner...because of more speed, more elusive. But he also lost a lot of yards, it was his long runs that made up for it.

However, he could not do all what Emmitt could do, so yes Emmitt was the better RB.

 

[Northern_Cowboy]

Yes they always argue that. However, RB means RB, as in what do you do to help your TEAM. So throw out that pure RB crap.
Maybe say "Barry" was a better runner...because of more speed, more elusive. But he also lost a lot of yards, it was his long runs that made up for it.

However, he could not do all what Emmitt could do, so yes Emmitt was the better RB.

They were both great, too bad people just can't leave it like that

 

[Idgit]

Barry Sanders first 5 years: 4.7 ypa
Barry Sanders final 5 years: 5.2 ypa

Huh...



Yeah, Barry probably wouldn't know anything about that.

YPC tends to go up when you’re off the field in short yardage.
Also, when you quit at the end of your career.

And let’s not pretend Sanders didn’t have any support on those DET offenses, while were at it.

 

[viman96]

Barry Sanders first 5 years: 4.7 ypa
Barry Sanders final 5 years: 5.2 ypa

Huh...



Yeah, Barry probably wouldn't know anything about that.

Barry has -952 career rushing yards. He did know about winning in the postseason or stepping up his game for the playoff's. He was 1-6 in postseason play and scored 1 TD. He sucked outdoors.

"In four career outdoor postseason games, Sanders averaged a paltry 2.8 yards per carry. He never scored a touchdown. And he never ran for more than 65 yards in a single game. With Sanders, the Lions went 0-4 in outdoor playoff games, losing by an average of 17 points."

 

[GenoT]

Most of us know that running backs don’t age well. Six years of premium productivity is usually the best you can expect.

The one guy we think of as an exception is Emmitt. Damn, the guy played 15 seasons!

Out of curiosity I wanted to work up some numbers. How did Emmitt do after his first six years in comparison to the earlier part of his career?

1990-1995...4.5 yards per carry...First 6 seasons
1996-2004...3.9 yards per carry...Next 9 seasons

Hmmm....

Throw out Emmitt’s Cardinals years and then post your numbers. And keep in mind, even without those 2 AZ seasons, a 13yr NFL career is almost unheard of for a workhorse RB in the modern era.

 

[Trouty]

@Aerolithe_Lion post from another thread, folks. An Eagles fan:

“I'm the cheetah following the pack. I'll pick out your weak and show them to you so you can take note. Some of you won't like it, but hopefully you respect what I'm doing.”

Just want to put this out there for you Cowboys fans. He’s gonna “pick out members here and show us who’s weak.”

Ok Eagles fan. We’re shaking in our boots. Way to make a first impression on a rival team’s board...

 

[cowboy_ron]

completely biased comparison. What did he do season 7-9? How about that?

Sealed himself as the NFL's all-time leading rusher......next question

 

[Aviano90]

Any particular reason we should be interested in this Emmitt Smith stat?

 

[CowboyRoy]

Sealed himself as the NFL's all-time leading rusher......next question

Looking for average per carry numbers

 

[Trouty]

Any particular reason we should be interested in this Emmitt Smith stat?

I'd have to think any HB with even the remote amount of longevity as Emmitt, and as his age climbed, would have similar declines in YPC, unless your name was John Riggins (age-wise for him, not longevity/tangent:he is a pure outlier of the finest).

Brown and Barry didn't play long enough to see their YPC drop. We're seeing it now with AD.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

I'd have to think any HB with even the remote amount of longevity as Emmitt, and as his age climbed, would have similar declines in YPC, unless your name was John Riggins (age-wise for him, not longevity/tangent:he is a pure outlier of the finest).

Brown and Barry didn't play long enough to see their YPC drop. We're seeing it now with AD.

My comment has 4 likes, your retort has two. I have more faith in the Cowboys zone community than to simply label posters as this or that negative connotation. Take the post as it is. If you like it, like it. If you don’t, that’s okay too.


You can paint me however you like, but I’m not trying to force my comment as truth. Just asking that you recognize them as facts.

 

[Super_Kazuya]

YPC tends to go up when you’re off the field in short yardage.
Also, when you quit at the end of your career.

And let’s not pretend Sanders didn’t have any support on those DET offenses, while were at it.

Most people when they retire, a side effect of that is that they do quit. Not sure what the point is.