Over 20 years after his retirement, Emmitt Smith is still the NFL’s all-time leading rusher (18,355 yards), and it’s not particularly close. He’s also the league’s all-time leader in rushing TDs (164), and rushing attempts (4,409). Smith also won three Super Bowls and an NFL MVP award. He did it all.
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That’s probably why, after retiring in 2005, Smith chose a different path. While he’s stayed connected to the game to some extent, he hasn’t been as involved as many of his peers, especially his former Cowboys teammates. Instead, he’s focused on building a business empire, and he’s had the benefit of learning from one of the most successful athlete-entrepreneurs: Magic Johnson.
Recently, Smith talked about how he’s been able to build his real estate empire after football. He first turned to fellow Cowboys legend Roger Staubach for guidance, then later sought additional support from Magic.
“I leaned on Roger, and I leaned on Magic to help me understand. Because Magic was doing urban stuff back when I was playing. So, I took two titans, if you will, and I got a chance to spend a lot of time with those two,” revealed the former RB on the Second Acts podcast.
Smith shared how he first connected with Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan at a party at Planet Hollywood in Atlanta, during the week leading up to the Cowboys’ second straight Super Bowl matchup with the Bills in 1993.
“So I’m walking the red carpet by myself… and all of a sudden I hear this commotion coming up behind me. I turn around and it’s both MJs… And I’m like, ‘Oh snap’… So we dap up … and they say, ‘Let’s go in.’ So I walk in with them, and I started a relationship right then and there with those guys.”
Magic and MJ are the big men on campus when it comes to athletes-turned-businessmen, but Smith is no slouch either. He’s got his hands in many pots, including real estate, construction, tech, solar, NASCAR, and more.
Smith broke down how he was able to build a vertically integrated business model where his investments all interact with each other.
“I’ma start with the real estate and construction. Because that platform itself is a vertically integrated platform. Through 413 Solutions, which is the development arm of what we do along with the energy component of what we do, and the brokerage services component.”
Smith was arguably the greatest running back in NFL history (the stats say so, but the tape might not, in our humble opinion), but he’s pushing to become the greatest real estate developer in NFL alumni history now, too. And with a mentor like Magic Johnson at his side, it’s clear he’s been making the right moves.
