Emmitt Smith on Cowboys triplets, shoulder separation game, Magic Johnson being his mentor

NFL: Good Morning Football

iHeartPodcasts and NFL

Sports, Football

4.4 • 634 Ratings

🗓️ 6 August 2025

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this powerful episode of NFL Players: Second Acts, Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith sits down with hosts Peanut Tillman and Roman Harper and shares why after his legendary shoulder separation game he said, “If I’m gonna die, let me die in Dallas.”

Emmitt opens up about what it meant to be named to the NFL’s All-Time 100 Team—an honor he says holds even more weight than making the Hall of Fame. He reflects on his final two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals and how that chapter helped him find closure and prepare for life beyond the gridiron.

But the conversation doesn’t stop at football. Emmitt shares how he built a successful business empire in real estate and construction, leaning on mentors like Roger Staubach and Magic Johnson, and how a chance encounter with Michael Jordan sparked a lasting connection. He also drops wisdom for current players on why investing in themselves now matters most.

The NFL Players: Second Acts podcast is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeart Media.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is an I-Heart podcast.
0:05.0	Bro, I try to knock my shoulder completely out of place
0:10.0	because I was in that much pain.
0:13.0	I fell asleep and I wake up in a panic
0:16.0	because my heart was racing and just racing.
0:19.0	I was like, this don't feel right.
0:21.9	I'm like, it happened twice.
0:25.0	The second time, Kevin O'Neill said, listen,
0:29.1	if you want us to, we can land this plane in Memphis
0:31.9	and get you into a hospital.
0:34.0	I said, nope, if I'm going to die, let me die in Dallas.
0:43.3	Thank you. I said, no, if I'm going to die, let me die in Dallas. What's up, everybody?
0:44.6	I'm Peanut Toolman, and this is the NFL players second acts podcast.
0:49.5	And with me, as always, my trusty co-hosts, Roman, plaid, tight, short, Harper.
0:57.3	And they don't see that, but that's only because I'm trying to do things afters.
1:00.5	But, man, I'm really excited about this next guest.
1:02.9	I mean, he is literally considered the greatest of all time at a position.
1:06.3	Literally.
1:07.0	And he is the, what you think about when you think of Dallas and the Cowboys and everything that they were able to create. And I've been around this man before and just really, really looking forward to him and, and just getting this vibe of it because we don't always get the greatest with us. But this is going to be awesome. Go ahead. The proud of Prince Cola, Florida.. First ball. Peacola. Peacola.
1:24.5	That's what we call it. Yeah, yeah, Picole. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Picole. Okay. First battle Hall of Famer, NFL are all-time leading Russia, three-time Super Bowl champion on the NFL's all-time top 100. I mean, he got one of them wine jackets. Oh, that's a different jacket. That's a Marlowe.
1:25.0	Okay.
1:26.4	That's, that's old folks,
	...

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