Emmitt Smith quotes:

Vision gets the dreams started. Dreaming employs your God-given imagination to reinforce the vision. Both are part of something I believe is absolutely necessary to building the life of a champion, a winner, a person of high character who is consistently at the top of whatever game he or she is in.

As a former football player who has carried a football more than 4,000 times, trust me, I did not go into ballroom dancing with my body being 100 percent, with no aches or pains or ailments coming with me. When you're dancing, you're doing stuff that your body's not used to, and so you start to aggravate those old injuries.

For me, winning isn't something that happens suddenly on the field when the whistle blows and the crowds roar. Winning is something that builds physically and mentally every day that you train and every night that you dream.

One thing I can say about the Dallas Cowboys: They have always had talent around them. They have been one of the most talented football teams in all of football.

I don't have to get up in the morning and go beat up my body like I used to. I don't have to be out there in August in 108 degree weather down in Texas.

Charles Haley changed the way the Cowboys played football in the 90s. And the reason why I say that is because he was such a dominant force coming off the edge, where it took two and three to block him.

Dreaming means 'rehearsing' what you see, playing it over and over in your mind until it becomes as real to you as your life right now.

A lot of the issues of the Dallas Cowboys yesterday having pressure on Tony Romo, came from the outside pressure.

I have been a Cowboys fan since I was a little bitty boy. And my dream has finally become a reality, of not only just playing a professional, becoming a professional athlete, but playing for the team that I always wanted to play for.

I was going through a little bit of turbulence in my career. And so, it's funny how turbulence itself will make you hold onto something for security. And so the only thing I knew is trust in the Lord and lean not unto your own heart, in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path.

Every time fans turned on the television or watched the Dallas Cowboys, I wanted to give them the performance of a lifetime.

I enjoyed being a teammate of Deion Sanders. He brings different elements to the game that many people would not even realize, and to watch and witness a superior talent like him and watch him prepare and train, and study the game is truly amazing.

I don't have to put on shoulder pads and run out there and let somebody hit on me a little bit.

Do not compare yourself. Find out what God has placed in your ability.

Sixteen games, to me, is a long enough schedule for anybody. We're already concerning ourselves with head injuries and bodily harm to all of the professional athletes. Add to extra games to it, (and) you are just increasing those risks.

If I didn't have a scholarship to go to the University of Florida or any school, I probably would have considered the military because my family could not afford to send me to college.

I'm an enigma, an unknown. You can't really figure out what I'm going to do next. I like it like that.

If you want to stay perfect, you cannot go undefeated with a blemish on your record.

There's a lot of dancing in football. You can see Victor Cruz doing a little bit of a cha-cha or samba move in the end zone. You can see Terrell Owens getting his popcorn ready. You can see Ochocinco doing the riverdance. But not so much when it comes to ballroom.

I know how important it is to have your quarterback standing upright. Matter of fact, I know how important it is not to allow someone hit on him period because I want him to think that this pocket is completely safe, no one is going to get to me and I got all the time in the world to make whatever decisions I need to make.

I used to send Tony Romo texts throughout the season just to encourage him, just to wish him luck and just to tell him to get on his offensive line. I hated watching this young man get sacked as much as he did, especially when it came down to big games.

Always, through my whole life, I've had a thirst for knowledge.

Emmitt Smith is someone that I have great respect for - as a player, a competitor and a person. His contributions to the organization and the NFL speak for themselves.

You cannot change the stripes of a leopard.

I've given everything I can possible to the game, on and off the field.

I've learned that football sometimes was an outlet. It was a way for me to release anger, release frustration.

All men are created equal. Some work harder in preseason.

I love to play bid whist as much as I love football.

Marriage is not something that's easy, but nothing in life is easy.

My father is Emmit and my grandfather is Emmit, but I wanted something extra so I could separate my Emmitt from the rest of them. Even though on my birth certificate it has one T, I just added the extra T for me.

We are all born naked into this world, but each of us is fully clothed in potential.

I used to imagine what it would be like to do what Jim Brown was doing. I used to imagine what it would be like to be like a Tony Dorsett. I used to imagine what it would be like to be like a Walter Payton. I was imagining Emmitt Smith doing exactly what they were doing.

My mom said, 'Don't get married. You're too young. Go out there and experience what life has to offer.' And I did.

I may win and I may lose, but I will never be defeated

What I accomplished definitely wasn't achieved by myself. Without others, none of this would have been possible.

As long as you and I are still breathing, we have a purpose to serve

Your attitude determines your aptitude!

Don't complain to others about your troubles. Half of them don't care and the other half are glad.

In order to achieve great things in your life, you have to be consistent in what you are doing.

If you know anything about me, I've never been a trash-talker. That's not even part of my DNA.

If you're not settled spiritually, things can be a little bit more chaotic than normal.

Not only does he have the NFC East record for touchdowns, but also the team record.

Football is a team sport, and there is no one individual who is bigger than the next person.

School is not easy for kids and football wasn't easy for me... but if it's something you truly believe in, it's something you've got to fight for and be willing to do what you need to do make it work.

I'm an enigma, an unknown.

Emmitt Smith is in a position, in my opinion, where he should be the highest-paid running back in football. He's a guy who has gone out and led the league in rushing and been productive.

Some if it may seem hokey to some people, but if you traveled where I've traveled, done what I've done and seen the results that I've been getting, then you understand where I'm coming from. Playing in a football game is like being in 30-40 car accidents. You can find yourself in awkward positions. That stuff takes its toll. But if you take advantage of health care, balance your body back out, put it back where its supposed to be, you function better, and you recover faster.

Consistency is one of the hallmarks of my career. You knew what you were going to get out of E-Smith every game, every year, no matter if I was 22, 21 or 35 years old.

What we shared and what we were able to accomplish on the football field was something unbelievable.

Consistency shows value. It breeds trust. You know that I'm going to show up every week.

Your biggest fear is the transition from football to business. You feel inferior at the beginning. You don't have the knowledge to compete. But once you start focusing and understanding, then you start relating to things.

History has never seen Emmitt Smith. I don't care what has come before me. That's why they call it history you create new history.

I'm very confident I'm one of the best to ever play the game, but once you talk about the greatest, how can you define greatest?

There's always a chance. Somebody has got to want me, and if they don't want me, then what? I want to play. I want to do what I want to do.

The leadership definitely have to come from the leaders.

Don't worry about the game you just won or the team that we just blew out... or, um... blown... blowed out... Let's think about what we need to do going forward, and they had, uh... blown out.

Adrian Peterson is redefining the way teams defend the running ability.

Vision gets the dreams started.

There's a lot of dancing in football. You can see Victor Cruz doing a little bit of cha-cha or sambra move in the end zone. You can see Terrell Owens getting his popcorn ready. You can see Ochocinco doing the river dance. But not so much in the ballroom.