Former Dallas Cowboys star Emmitt Smith says he would have taken a knee during anthem
It was a simple, but pointed, question to Pro Football Hall of Fame running back and NFL rushing champion Emmitt Smith.
If he were playing still today, would he take a knee in silent protest in support of social justice during the national anthem?
Smith brought up his greatest non-football play as a Dallas Cowboys star in answering the question.
“Yeah, I think I would do something, just as much as I ran out there and defended that star when T.O. did what he did,” Smith said. “Why not? If I can defend the star, I definitely can defend the right for everybody to have equal justice.”
Smith was doing a round of media interviews for the NFL Votes, a league-wide initiative to support and encourage voting and civic engagement.
And it wasn’t his intent to be controversial or divisive.
But he acknowledged being inspired and proud of the players today for what they are standing up for and speaking for the people who don’t have the platform that professional athletes and other stars enjoy.
So he is proud of today’s players who use their voice to speak out about the injustices they see happening to them and around them.
The more Smith talked, the more convicted he became about taking a knee in the fight for justice just as he defended the Cowboys’ blue star.
“If I can defend the star, I can take a stand for social justice,” Smith said. “I have been a victim of it. It’s not like I am talking because something happened to George Floyd. Something happened to me more than one time, a couple of times it happened right here in Dallas. I’m talking from experience, not something I read in a book and saw on CNN.”
Smith said he has experienced covert forms of racism as a minority contractor, however, his employees have dealt with overt racism.
The next generation
Three months ago, Smith attended his son’s high school graduation, which took place at AT&T Stadium, the new home of his old team. He expressed pride in seeing E.J. Smith, now a running back at Stanford, take a knee during Dallas Jesuit’s commencement ceremony back in June.
Smith says he still has regrets about not showing more visible support for former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Michael Irvin when he was on trial for cocaine possession in 1996.
“I think back when Mike got into his situation and we were told not to go down to the courthouse and everything else and I wanted to be down there so bad,” Smith said. “Years later I still look back and reflect on it. And Troy was the only one that went. I don’t know if that was by design or not. He was the only one that went. I regret it every day that I think about it because I love [Mike] to death. And that’s my teammate and that’s my brother he should have had the support that he needed.”
Smith understands now that no one would have done anything to him if he had shown up and supported Irvin as Aikman did.
“But my mindset is I’m going to follow the rules,” Smith said. “I’m going to be an obedient person, never want to be a defiant person. I never wanted to be characterized as a defiant person. If I went, maybe someone would have said they were told not to go and Emmitt disobeyed the order and could have taken it a different way.”
Smith said this is a different time and “these young players don’t care” about appearances when it comes to standing up for what is right.
Smith said he has not talked to Jerry Jones about the anthem issue and the Cowboys owner has not reached out to him.
Jones has alluded to having some former Cowboys vouch for him in front of his current team regarding his support for his players as they waded through the team’s new approach to the protests.
Jones had previously outlawed the Cowboys from taking a knee or doing anything that would appear as disrespectful to the flag. And while he gave the team permission to show individual expressions of protest, he asked them to show “grace” and not do anything to offend Cowboys fans who hold the flag in high regard.
Dontari Poe, a defensive lineman who joined the team in the offseason, became the first and only Cowboys’ player to ever kneel during the national anthem before last Sunday’s 20-17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Smith doesn’t agree with Jones’ stance and believes the Cowboys owner has the power and influence in the NFL to make a bigger impact in supporting the players’ calls for social justice reforms.
“Jerry needs to cut it out. He needs to cut it out,” Smith said. “Don’t distort the message because of the flag. It is bigger than the flag. That flag ain’t hurt one soul as it waves. It is there as a reminder of what many men and women, black and white, died for. Just like those Super Bowl trophies, they are there as a reminder of what you have done in history that was good. They are not there just to be flashy. They are there to remind each and every player, team and coach that comes and works for the Dallas Cowboys organization why you are here.
“That is what that flag is a symbol of, why we fight for freedom and what we stand for as Americans. And we don’t stand for this B.S. What is the difference between injustice and bullying? You see somebody get bullied, are you supposed to keep walking down the street? No. You support that piece, but you won’t support justice for people getting killed in the streets for no apparent reason.”
Getting out to vote
Smith admits that he votes more often now than he did when he was a player. He says he pays more attention to the issues because he is retired from the game, but also being a business owner has given him a greater sense of his civic responsibility.
“I love America and the best thing I can do is to cast my vote and encourage others to cast their vote for whoever they are going to vote for,” Smith said. “I am inspired by these young cats. There is no doubt NFL players are trying to do good in the community. Now, they are flexing their muscles in a different way. Voting happens to be one of the best ways to exercise your complete rights and really effect change through legislation and policies.”
Smith says he owes it to his kids to speak up and speak out because they could be out there on the street and get stopped one day with no one knowing who they were. And it would be a shame if he didn’t say something about these issues and try to change them on the front end.
So yes, he would kneel if he were playing today.
“I kneel to pray,” Smith said. “When I am kneeling I am praying about stuff like this.”
This story was originally published September 18, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
