The Kansas City Chiefs have signed E.J. Smith, son of Emmitt, as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M.
The Kansas City Chiefs signed undrafted free-agent running back E.J. Smith with the hope that he’ll be able to duplicate the feats of his famous father to some extent, but that’s extremely unlikely given that Smith is the son of Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith, who is the NFL’s all-time leading rusher.
The signing of the Texas A&M running back was reported by Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk, who said that the Dallas Cowboys were hoping E.J. Smith would follow in his father’s footsteps and sign with the hometown team.
But Smith elected to carve out his own path with the Chiefs, which isn’t exactly surprising. He announced his decision on his Instagram account, and he knows he’ll have to work to make the team.
“Excited to officially sign with the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent,” Smith wrote. “Nothing is given. Everything is earned. I’m ready to work, learn, and prove myself every single day. Thank you to my family, coaches, teammates, and everyone who believed in me and pushed me to this moment.
“The journey hasn’t been easy, but every challenge prepared me for this next step. Grateful is an understatement. All glory to God for this opportunity. Let’s get it Chiefs Kingdom.”
Smith had a four-year college career, spending his first two years at Stanford before coming home to the Lone Star state. His numbers weren’t impressive, as Smith logged 44 carries for just 205 yards and four touchdowns, and he also caught four passes for 18 yards.
Williams noted that Smith did have a couple of memorable plays for the Aggies, including a clutch first down against Arkansas after the Aggies’ tight end ran into him in the backfield. He also made multiple blocks during an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown by KC Concepion against UTSA, but that’s not much of a resume to be taking into the NFL.
The Chiefs are undoubtedly intrigued by Smith’s background, and there’s certainly no harm in taking a flyer on him as a UFA. He’ll be a long shot to make the roster, although ESPN’s draft team did mention his potential as a receiver out of the backfield with running back Kenneth Walker III not expected to add much in that department.
Smith finished his college career with 207 carries for 969 yards and nine touchdowns, according to Williams, and he added 470 receiving yards and a touchdown.