ProFootballTalk.com's Top 25 In 25

No. 8 Emmitt Smith.

Emmitt Smith wasn't the fastest running back.  Or the shiftiest.  Or the most explosive. 

His greatness was in his durability.  Year in and year out, game in and game out, Smith showed up and gave his all.  He played the game when healthy.  He played the game when hurt.  Above all else, he played.

At a time when so many running backs realize that careers are fleeting and pain is certain, Smith made it through 15 NFL seasons, gaining less than 937 yards only once.  Along the way, he became the league's all-time leading rusher.

His most impressive single-game performance came in 1993.  Facing the Giants in a late-season game that could have relegated the Cowboys to a wild-card berth in the playoffs, Smith shrugged off a painful shoulder injury and carried the Cowboys to triumph.

But despite his impressive rushing totals, which might never be matched, and his three Super Bowl rings, we can't put Smith any higher on the list because he really did benefit from having a great offensive line in Dallas -- and because his per-carry average was only 4.2 yards.  In contrast, Jim Brown's was 5.2 yards, and Barry Sanders' was 5.0.

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