Emmitt Smith has always believed in setting goals. He wanted to be a high school football player and he became one of the best in history. When the experts said he was too small and too slow to play college or professional football, his goal was to prove them wrong. He did. Smith won All-America honors at the University of Florida and in 1993 became the first player ever to win the National Football League (NFL) regular-season and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards. As the NFL rushing leader for three straight seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Smith still sets his goals high: he wants to be the best running back of all time.

Emmitt James Smith, III, was born May 15, 1969, in Pensacola, Florida, one of six children. His father, Emmitt Smith Jr., was a bus driver who had been a high school basketball and football star. He...