Cowboys’ Smith Wins MVP Award

Emmitt Smith missed two games and half of another. The Dallas Cowboys lost all three, proving why Smith is the NFL’s most valuable player.

The Cowboys running back, selected Monday as MVP in voting by 81 national media members, narrowly beat last year’s winner, Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers. Smith, the league’s leading rusher for the third straight season, received 26 votes, while Young, the top passer in the NFL had 21.

Smith is the first Cowboy player to win the award.

“It’s a great honor because it means you’ve done what you’ve done what you’re supposed to do and done it as well as anyone,” said Smith, who has won three consecutive rushing titles. He ran for 1,486 yards this season, with nine touchdowns, and caught 57 passes, with one touchdown.

Only the third running back since 1980 to be selected MVP, Smith held out through training camp and the first two games of the season, which Dallas lost to Washington and Buffalo. The Cowboys (12-4) also lost at Atlanta when Smith suffered a bruised right leg.

With Smith available for an entire game, the Cowboys were 12-1.

Jerry Rice, selected offensive player of the year last week, was third in the MVP balloting with 15 votes. He was followed by Denver quarterback John Elway with 10.

Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman was next with three votes.