What Is Former NFL Running Back Emmitt Smith's Net Worth?

Emmitt Smith is a former running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. During his illustrious career, Emmitt won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys, a Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, and a Super Bowl MVP. He also set numerous league records that still stand to this day, including total career rushing yards (18,355), most career rushing touchdowns, and most career rushing attempts. 

Because of his success as an individual and as part of a team, many consider Emmitt to be a strong contender for the title of the greatest running back of all time. As of 2024, Emmitt Smith has a net worth of $25 million. This is largely due to his long and successful NFL career and his ventures into the real estate development business and stock car racing.

Before becoming one of the best running backs in the NFL, Emmitt Smith was the star running back for the Florida Gators football team from 1987 to 1989, where he broke 58 school records and earned himself the 1989 SEC Player of the Year award. Even though Smith has pleasant memories from his time at the University of Florida, it didn't stop him from slamming their decision to close down their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE) office. The university’s decision to fire all DEI positions and administrative appointments to comply with Florida law made Emmitt feel “utterly disgusted.”

What Is Emmitt Smith’s Net Worth?

Emmitt Smith has a net worth of $25 million as of March 2024.

The former Dallas Cowboys running back made the majority of his money during his time in the NFL, where he was one of the best players during the 1990s. Unfortunately for Emmitt, his net worth doesn’t match up with the contemporaries of his time like Deion Sanders and Brett Favre, who have a net worth of $45 million and $100 million, respectively.

Even his former teammate, Troy Aikman, is richer than him, with a net worth of $65 million. Smith is richer than the final member of "The Triplets," Michael Irvin, who has a net worth of $12 million.

What Are Emmitt Smith’s Main Sources Of Income?

Emmitt Smith earned a total of $56.27 million from his 15-year NFL career. He signed a total of 4 contracts during his career, with 3 of them being with the Dallas Cowboys and one of them being with the Arizona Cardinals.

The most lucrative contract in his career was the third and final contract he signed with the Cowboys for $40.5 million over seven years. He had an annual salary of $5.7 million and a signing bonus of $10.5 million. The one and only contract he signed with the Cardinals was worth $7.5 million over 2 years with a signing bonus of $2.5 million.

Besides earning money from his football career, Emmitt earned money through his endorsement deals with companies such as Pepsi, Reebok, Bud Light, and QC Kinetix. Smith’s deal with Reebok started during his playing career and led to a custom shoeline that also got a re-release in 2023. His partnership with Pepsi and Bud Light is relatively new and mostly involves him appearing in commercials with former NFL players. Meanwhile, Emmitt is also the brand ambassador for the regenerative medicine clinic, QC Kinetix.

What Are Emmitt Smith's Top Ventures?

Ever since retiring from the NFL, Emmitt has made investments in various businesses, with his main focus being real estate. Here are some of Emmitt Smith’s top ventures:

• EJ Smith Construction: EJ Smith Construction is based out of DeSoto, Texas, and was launched in 2010 by CEO and president Eugene Walker, with Emmitt Smith as a partner. The company has active projects worth almost $300 million, according to Construction Journal, and brings in around $20–25 million in sales annually.
• Smith/Cypress Partners LP: In 2005, Emmitt teamed up with another Dallas Cowboys legend, Roger Staubach, to form Smith/Cypress Partners LP, a real estate development enterprise. Smith owns 51% of the joint venture with Cypress Equities.
• Jesse Iwuji Motorsports: Jesse Iwuji Motorsports is an American stock car racing team that was founded by Emmitt Smith and United States Navy Reserve officer Jesse Iwuji in 2021. It competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

What Does Emmitt Smith’s Car Collection Look Like?

Thanks to his successful NFL career, Emmitt Smith was able to own some really cool cars. The first car he ever owned was a used 1985 Nissan Maxima, and his favorite car was the Lamborghini Murcielago. Let's take a look at some of the cars Emmitt Smith has owned over the years.

• Hummer H2: Emmitt Smith has a Hummer H2 in his garage. Smith bought the car for personal use only, but he isn't really sure if it was a 2003 or 2004 model H2.
• 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Convertible: The 1991 300 SL Convertible was the first car that Emmitt bought with the money he made from his rookie deal's signing bonus. According to him, the first dealership he had gone to treated him as if he couldn't afford the car and suggested that he should buy a used car. Smith ended up going to another dealer and buying the car for $100,000. Later on, this purchase would make him realize the importance of saving money. Smith sold the car some time around 2010, and somehow it ended up in the hands of owner of Gas Monkey Garage, Richard Rawlings, who himself put the car up for auction on Ebay.
• Lamborghini Murcielago: Probably the coolest car in Emmitt Smith's garage was a 2002 Lamborghini Murcielago. Emmitt's wife, Patricia Southall, bought him this car as a present after he broke the all-time rushing yards record. Smith's Murcielago was in “Cowboy Blue,” with blue suede inside. He ended up selling the car because he didn't drive it enough.

If you are curious to learn more about the rest of the rides in Emmitt Smith's car collection, click here.

Emmitt Smith's $2.2 Million Dallas Mansion

Emmitt Smith's only house that was known publicly was his Dallas mansion, which he sold for $2.2 million in late 2021. Included in the deal for the buyer was a dinner with Emmitt Smith himself.

The former Dallas Cowboys running back bought the 10,806-square-foot home in 1995 and lived there with his wife, Patricia Southall, and their kids. Smith decided to sell the house because his kids had grown up and moved out, so he didn't require a big house anymore.

The mansion came with five bedrooms, five full bathrooms, four half bathrooms, two offices, and two living rooms. It also had a four-car garage. Outside the house is a park that can be accessed through a through a private gate. The mansion also comes with a pool in the backyard.

Emmitt Smith VS Other Running Backs

Emmitt Smith is widely regarded as one of the best running backs in the history of the NFL. He's achieved success both as part of a team and as an individual player, winning three Super Bowls, being an MVP, and having multiple records to his name. As of March 2024, Emmitt Smith has a net worth of $25 million. Great running backs from different eras, such as Jim Brown, Earl Campbell, and LaDainian Tomlinson, have a net worth that is comparable to Smith's net worth.

Jim Brown, often hailed as one of the greatest football players of all time, revolutionized the running back position during his tenure with the Cleveland Browns. Winner of one NFL championship and three MVP awards, Jim Brown had a net worth of $30 million at the time of his death in May 2023.

Earl Campbell, known for his bruising running style and dominance on the field, achieved notable individual success during his career with the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints, winning the MVP award once and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year three times. As of 2024, Earl Campbell has a net worth of $25 million.

LaDainian Tomlinson, another dynamic running back renowned for his versatility and skill, enjoyed a stellar career with the San Diego Chargers, where he won both the MVP award and NFL Offensive Player of the Year in the same season. LaDainian Tomlinson has a net worth of $32 million as of 2024.

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