Episode 21: Emmitt Smith

On the 21st episode of “Great Dane Nation,” Morten is joined by his Pro Football Hall of Fame brother and Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith (09:09 – 50:36). But first, he checks in with TommyFreezePops (Tom Carroll) to recap NFL Championship Weekend and look ahead to Super Bowl LV. Morten and FreezePops have no idea what Matt LaFleur was doing at the end of the NFC Championship (01:45), and couldn’t be more excited for Tom Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes in the big game (05:08).We then move to our interview with Emmitt, where he discusses a wide array of topics: why Emmitt owns two Jim Thorpe trophies (10:00); which running backs were his role models when he was growing up in Florida, and why (12:07); how he was able to become one of the best second-effort running backs in the history of the NFL, and why he prioritized avoiding contact (15:46); Emmitt’s favorite play-calls of his career (18:49); how much of being a successful running back at the pro level is God-given ability, and how much of it can be learned and trained (22:11); how setting goals as a young player allowed him to achieve greatness that few players in league history have ever seen (24:04); why leaving the University of Florida after three seasons had nothing to do with Steve Spurrier taking over the program (30:41); why it took Norv Turner revamping the offense in Dallas for “The Triplets” to really take off and become the dynasty of the 1990s (33:18); why his first Super Bowl win was especially sweet (35:27); why Emmitt believes the Florida Gators are not that close to competing for an SEC Championship in a real way (38:16); why he still believes Ezekiel Elliott will be a star in this league, and why the Cowboys are not that far from being a real contender in the NFC East (41:41); why Mike McCarthy deserves another chance to prove himself next season in Dallas (43:41); what advice he’d give Derrick Henry, and why he’s the best running back in the NFL today (44:36); and how Roger Staubach changed his life (47:14).Then, TommyFreezePops is joined by Mark Franco for his weekly check-in with the experts from VegasInsider.com (51:44 – 56:15). The guys take a long-range look at Super Bowl LV, as we are 11 days away from football’s biggest stage (52:51). Plus, the one prop bet Mark thinks people should hop on now to maximize their value (53:34).Finally, we close things out with Morten’s “Game Winner” – a weekly segment where Morten monologues his biggest takeaway of the week. This week, he talks about Emmitt Smith, and how one man’s vision became an iconic reality (56:15).