Emmitt Smith Talks ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ Taylor Swift’s Impact on the NFL and the State of the Dallas Cowboys Under Dak Prescott: ‘He’s the Best We’ve Got’

This is a big year for Emmitt Smith.

The NFL’s all-time leading rusher, Hall of Famer and anchor of the Dallas Cowboys’ hard-partying dynasty that won three Super Bowls in the ‘90s is celebrating the 30-year anniversary of his final Super Bowl win — which also happens to be the last time the Cowboys won it all — as well as the 20-year anniversary of winning the ABC reality-competition series “Dancing with the Stars.” Smith, 57, has partnered with AT&T, the official voting partner of the show, to connect with fans and revisit his time cutting a rug via a series of social videos.

“It’s cool because AT&T has done a great job connecting people with loved ones, and this show is all about keeping people connected to moments that move us,” Smith tells Variety.

He also toasted his former win by participating in Super Bowl Night, dancing it up on the Oct. 13 episode alongside fellow DWTS alums/ex-NFL players DeMarcus Ware, Donald Driver and Danny Amendola.

“I was one of the guys that probably inspired them to get on the show, so it was cool to see Jerry Rice and myself crack the code to help get other athletes on and show people that they have other talents outside of sports,” offers Smith.

Smith dished to Variety about everything from “Dancing with the Stars” and the state of the Dallas Cowboys under owner Jerry Jones to the NFL’s domestic violence policy and running backs not getting enough respect.

It was cool. The one thing I wanted to do was be me and not try to be something else. Most people don’t understand that running the football is almost like dancing — a portrait in motion. As a running back, I float in and out of defenses and run with a style and a flow that has grace but also has power, intensity and finesse in it, and dancing can be the same way. If you dance the Paso Doble, that has grace, power, intensity and finesse in it, which is everything I had on the football field. It correlates mentally, but the technique requires a totally different thing. And athletes are used to being taught, preparing and going into the arena, so it’s a natural fit.

I understand and I can allow my mind to go there! But I have a family to go to, so for me, dancing was strictly dancing. However, the connection between my partner and I had to be spot-on. The thing we did initially — and this is what I loved about dancing with Cheryl [Burke] — we’d established the boundaries before we even got there, and she was respectful, and I was respectful. I knew I had to have a connection with her that came across as real — like actors. So, when it came to the dance floor, me and my partner were connected and nothing outside of that routine and that dance floor mattered at that time.

What was it like to return to the stage and dust off those dance moves for Super Bowl Night?
I had to dust off a whole lot! It was fun. We had to learn the routine and picked it up fairly quickly. It took some reps, but once you’ve got it, you’ve got it.

Speaking of Super Bowl Night, I’ve gotta ask you for your Super Bowl prediction this year. Who do you think has what it takes to go all the way?
Well, I would say the undefeated teams look pretty good right now — the 49ers… Are the Bills undefeated? They look good, too. And Kansas City looks pretty good. Mahomes has a true running back now that everyone has to respect, and that’s a big difference.

That was a strange thing that happened to Kenneth Walker III. I don’t think I’d ever seen someone win Super Bowl MVP and then not get re-signed by their team. I think that maybe speaks to the level of disrespect toward running backs in the modern-day NFL. Running backs today are underpaid and overlooked.
You know what that reminds me of? That reminds me of Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants. You let go of your best player for what?! For a quarterback [Daniel Jones] who you ended up getting rid of anyway. That’s the disrespect that you’re talking about. Even with Kenneth Walker III, they went with Sam Darnold as the quarterback and let Kenneth Walker III get away. And Kenneth Walker III went to the right team with head coach Andy Reid, a great offensive coordinator in Eric Bieniemy, Patrick Mahomes and a very competitive team. Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the National Football League right now. The running game in Kansas City is a lot better than people are giving it credit for.