Playing at the same time as Emmitt Smith, can you comment about your thoughts on his career and what stands out the most?
Sanders: Emmitt was just a fantastic competitor. His style reminded me a lot of Walter Payton. He could be physical or he could be finesse. He had that football speed. He was just a great competitor. The only thing I don't like about it is he has a lot more jewelry than I do. A lot more hardware and jewelry.
There is a perception that had you not retired early, you would've not only broken Walter Payton's record but ran away with it. Your thoughts on that?
Sanders: Well, (Emmitt) rightfully deserved it. Look at all the years he played. He put up great numbers. Sometimes, what the numbers don't show, if you look at the big games where Emmitt Smith came up with the big run or big play, those are the things I think the Dallas Cowboys fans remember. Emmitt Smith fans remember. It wasn't just the numbers, but if you look at what he did in those crucial situations, that's what makes him so special. It's not just the amount of yards he ended up with.
What are your thoughts on the notion that Emmitt played behind a much better offensive line than you did?
Sanders: I think he played with some fantastic players, there's no doubt about that. There's nothing we can do about that. But at the same time, I don't think you can just put anybody behind a line and say they're going to be good. I'm sure Dallas had other running backs that were backups that didn't play the way Emmitt played. More power to them, they had great lines and a great coach.
