If it were up to Pro Football Hall of Famer and all-time rushing champion Emmitt Smith, he would’ve pursued additional Lombardi Trophies in South Beach instead of Dallas.
Smith was the centerpiece of a Dallas Cowboys ’90s dynasty that won Super Bowl championships in the 1992, ’93 and ’95 seasons. Without a doubt, Dallas doesn’t emerge as the team of the ’90s without his efforts.
In a recent interview appearance with Channing Crowder, Ryan Clark and Fred Taylor on “The Pivot Podcast” (h/t Hal Habib of The Palm Beach Post), Smith revealed something very interesting that will surely disappoint many Miami Dolphins fans: The 1993 league MVP actually hoped to join Dan Marino’s club that year, but then-Miami head coach Don Shula didn’t share the interest.
“I picked up the phone and called Don Shula myself and told him I wanted to come to Miami and play for Miami,” Smith explained. Because I knew Dan Marino didn’t have a running game.”
Smith then detailed the conversation between him and the Hall of Fame head coach:
“I want to help you and help Dan get a championship. I said, ‘Bring me back to the state of Florida.’ He said, ‘Well, I don’t know if I could make that offer.’ He said, ‘If I do make this offer and you don’t come, all my other players will see what I put on the table for you and it’s going to mess up my chemistry.'”
Smith added that he simply hoped Shula would put any offer “on the table” that would prove too rich for the Cowboys, but Shula refused. And Smith was left in shock.
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Fortunately for Smith and the Cowboys, he stayed right where he belonged. Smith continued his Hall of Fame career and played a key part in helping Dallas win two more Lombardi Trophies, while Marino went down as by far the greatest quarterback to never win a Super Bowl.
File this one under the greatest “What ifs” in Dolphins history.
