On one side of Texas Stadium, Emmitt Smith jumped into his fullback’s arms, weaved through a conga line of hugs and helmet slaps and removed his helmet to acknowledge the home crowd’s thunderous ovation.
On the other sideline, a young running back soaked in the historic moment and pictured himself at the center of such a celebration one day.
To Shaun Alexander, it was kismet that his Seahawks were the Cowboys’ opponent on October 27, 2002, when Smith claimed the NFL’s record for career rushing yards. Alexander believed his presence would make a fun historical footnote years later if he supplanted Smith as the NFL’s all-time rushing king.