Sports
Emmitt Smith gives advice to NFL hopeful son who once admitted to feeling pressure of living up to family name
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Living up to a legend’s name is no easy task, and no matter where EJ Smith goes on a football field, he’s looked at a bit differently than most.
That’s because the Texas A&M running back, who hopes to be drafted later this month, is the son of Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher.
Smith worked primarily as a backup in college, but at the very least, he did get a workout with his dad’s former Dallas Cowboys earlier this month.
Texas A&M Aggies running back EJ Smith runs with the ball during the game against the Miami Hurricanes at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, on Dec. 20, 2025. (Jerome Miron/Imagn Images)
But there was a time in high school, the Hall of Famer said, that his son began to feel the pressure of living up to the likes of his father.
“He came to me one day, he asked the question, ‘How do I deal with all the pressure?’ And I was wondering the type of pressure he was under. He said, ‘Just the pressure of living up to what everybody expects and everything else,’” Smith recalled in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.
“And I broke it down pretty simply. I just asked the one fundamental question. I said, ‘What is everyone saying?’ ‘Everyone expected me to be this and everyone expected me to be that and do this and do that.’ I said, ‘What are your expectations? Are your expectations any different than what they want for you?’ And he said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘Where’s the pressure?’
“Here’s the thing – you gotta run your race, and you gotta disregard what other people are saying. Because you have whatever ability you have, you have to be yourself. And you have to work at being yourself and work at what you need to do to hone your craft. Just go play the game. Put your blinders on. Run your race. You like the horses at the Kentucky Derby. And then when the blinders come off, you may look up one day and find yourself in the damn Super Bowl. You never know.
Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed hands the ball to running back EJ Smith during the first half against Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida, on Sept. 14, 2024. (Matt Pendleton/Imagn Images)
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“But stay the course, disregard all the noise out there ’cause it is noise. And they’re not playing. They’re trying to put their stuff on you and their expectations on you. But if their expectations are different than yours, it don’t matter. Just go meet every expectation that you’re trying to meet. Everything else doesn’t matter.”
Smith said he and EJ talk about “everything under the sun,” making it clear that his top role in life is being a father. That, along with other personal experiences, is why he joined Narcan’s “Ready to Rescue” initiative to stop overdoses during the current opioid epidemic.
Smith’s sister-in-law had a “couple of overdose episodes” while on pain medication for chemo for colon cancer treatment. Smith also noted that his former teammates have had issues with opioids, and friends have even lost children. Although the circumstances are unfortunate, the recent partnership is a natural fit for Smith.
“I think that’s what makes it such a natural way to talk about it. There’s dealing with someone that you lost, or even growing up and seeing cousins, getting hooked on hardcore drugs, and then seeing them wean themselves off of it, going through that whole entire process of not understanding that there’s mechanisms out there that people can go to get help,” Smith said, adding his concern for the “rampant” run of fentanyl.
“Anybody is subject to get caught up in something at any point in time anywhere, and not even realize it. And so when that happens, you want to make sure that the people that are closest to you or around you have access to something like the Narcan nasal spray.
Jan 30, 1994; Atlanta, GA; FILE PHOTO; Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith (22) prior to facing the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XVIII at the Georgia Dome. (James D. Smith/USA TODAY Sports)
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The Smith family, of course, is hoping they get good news during the draft. But Smith has one more piece of advice for his son on how to deal with the pressure of waiting for a call.
“I told him on draft day, go play golf, go hang out, don’t even look at the damn TV,” he said. “Let your agent call you and say, ‘Hey man, we got something.’ Don’t even worry about draft day.”
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Chicago Cubs star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was reportedly fined an undisclosed amount of money for his interaction with a Chicago White Sox fan on Saturday.
Crow-Armstrong, 24, was heckled by a fan after making a play during the fifth inning of the team’s 8-3 loss to the White Sox. He had a vulgar response to the female heckler.
“You suck my f–-ing d–k b—-,” Crow-Armstrong told the female fan.
Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs stands on deck in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field on April 21, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images)
The fine for Crow-Armstrong is undisclosed, ESPN reported. He said he regretted his actions on Monday.
“I think I just regret my choice of words the most and who that affects in my life, directly and indirectly,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I don’t think that any of the women in my life would ever think that I would use those kind of words regularly, especially referring to them.
“So I’m just bummed out about the word choice, and that a bunch of little kids go and probably find their way to social media and see that as well.”
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Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs reacts after getting hit by a pitch in the eighth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on May 17, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Michael Hirschuber/Getty Images)
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said he spoke with Crow-Armstrong and called fan interactions as part of the job.
“He made a mistake, and we’ve got to move on from it,” Counsell said before Chicago’s 9-3 loss to Milwaukee. “It’s a reality of this job. It happens. Fan interactions happen. You want to try to keep them positive, even when they’re not. Sometimes when it’s a really emotional situation, it’s difficult, but it’s still a requirement of the job.”
Crow-Armstrong is one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball and made his first All-Star team last season. Last season, Crow-Armstrong hit .247 with 31 home runs and 95 RBI.
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Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run against the Chicago White Sox during the ninth inning at Rate Field on May 16, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Daniel Bartel/Getty Images)
This season, Crow-Armstrong has not had the same success. In 49 games, he has hit just .229 with five home runs and 20 RBI.
The Cubs (29-20) will take on the Milwaukee Brewers (28-18) in the final game of their three-game series on Wednesday at 7:40 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Sports
Chiefs’ Rashee Rice ordered to 30 days in jail for probation violation after failing drug test
Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice was taken into custody Tuesday and ordered to serve 30 days in jail after violating the terms of his probation stemming from a 2024 vehicle crash that left multiple people injured.
A spokesperson for the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office said in an email to The Times that Rice had tested positive for THC, the primary psychoactive chemical in marijuana. The fourth-year player out of Southern Methodist will remain in the Dallas County jail until June 16.
Based on that timeline, Rice will miss the Chiefs’ voluntary team workouts May 26-28 and June 1-3 and mandatory minicamp June 9-11.
“We are aware of the reports and have been in touch with the league office,” a Chiefs spokesman told the Associated Press, declining further comment. An NFL spokesperson told The Times that the league is “aware of the report” and also declined further comment.
Also on Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Rice underwent surgery on his right knee last week to remove loose debris that was causing inflammation. Rice is expected to be ready for training camp this summer, according to Schefter.
The Chiefs did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment regarding Rice’s reported surgery.
Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail last July after pleading guilty to third-degree felony charges of collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury. He was, however, granted flexibility as to when to serve his jail time and had not served it yet.
After his recent probation violation, the district attorney’s office spokesperson said, Rice was ordered to serve that jail time immediately.
On March 30, 2024, according to prosecutors, Rice was driving a Lamborghini Urus SUV at 119 mph when made “multiple aggressive maneuvers around traffic” and struck other vehicles, then fled the scene on foot without checking on anyone in the other vehicles.
He was suspended for the first six weeks of the 2025 season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
In 28 games with the Chiefs, Rice has 156 receptions for 1,797 yards and 14 touchdowns. He is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
Lamar Jackson absent from Ravens OTA as new coach Jesse Minter downplays voluntary practice skip
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The Baltimore Ravens were without their two-time NFL MVP quarterback when Tuesday’s organized team activities (OTAs) began.
Why Lamar Jackson was absent from Tuesday’s media-open practice remains unclear. Monday’s voluntary OTAs were closed to reporters. New Ravens coach Jesse Minter offered little explanation but downplayed concerns about Jackson’s absence and suggested the star quarterback would return soon.
“Lamar’s been one of our leaders of the offseason program, and he had a couple things going on yesterday and today, and I do expect him to be back soon,” Minter said. “We’ve had some great conversations. I know when he’s going to be back and again, I’ll probably leave those between me and Lamar.”
Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens watches the NFL preseason game against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., on Aug. 23, 2025. (Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Minter replaced John Harbaugh, who was dismissed in January after 18 seasons as the Ravens’ head coach. The New York Giants hired Harbaugh shortly after his departure from Baltimore.
Jackson’s attendance at voluntary offseason activities has drawn attention because of its inconsistency throughout his NFL career. It’s hard to say how much that matters, but it’s certainly an issue critics have pointed to from time to time. His contract, with two years remaining, has also been a significant topic lately after he and the Ravens did not agree to an extension before the start of free agency. Baltimore instead restructured Jackson’s deal to create cap space.
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The Ravens held minicamp in April — the first under Minter — and Jackson was in attendance.
At the end of Tuesday’s OTAs, the team took part in a little game in which players from the offense and defense competed at throwing medicine balls. Minter said that’s part of preparing the team to play well in the most important moments.
New Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter is introduced during a news conference at Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills, Maryland, on Jan. 29, 2026. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
“We end practice every day (with an) ‘At our best when our best is needed’ period, and so that could be anything different. Today, we decided to do a little friendly competition,” Minter said.
“Right now, you can’t really do the football competition, and so I thought it would be something different, something fun. I try to get guys to not know what’s about to happen and answer the bell when their number’s called, and it’s as simple as that. That’s really all we’re trying to get done with that and make it fun, have the guys pull for each other.”
Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens warms up before the game against the New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., on Dec. 21, 2025. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
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Star running back Derrick Henry caused a brief scare after a knee-to-knee collision with another player. Though he stayed down momentarily, he later returned to practice.
“The ground felt like a bed for a little while,” he said. “And I saw you all (reporters) looking hot and bored, so I was like, ‘I need to give them something to tweet and write about.’”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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