Emmitt Smith (As a Dallas Cowboy)
The main reason Emmitt still functions as well as he does is chiropractic care, Emmitt was introduced to chiropractic care by former Cowboys fullback Daryl Johnson and the two began a routine of chiropractic treatments - sometimes up to two or three per week - that continues to this day. During the season, he spends about two hours with a chiropractor every Friday afternoon. Depending on how he feels, Emmitt may be treated by his chiropractor two or three days a week; in some instances, his chiropractor flies with the team to provide care up until the start of the game. Emmitt states,
"I go see the chiropractor when I get bent out of shape on Sundays. Playing in a football game is like being in 30-40 car accidents."
Emmitt is one of a growing number of Cowboys who turn to chiropractor's for treatment. Currently, wide receiver Raghib "Rocket" Ishmial; safety Darren Woodson; quarterback Quincy Carter; defensive end Greg Ellis; and offensive lineman Larry Alien all see chiropractors on a regular basis. Ishmial is such a believer in chiropractic that before the start of the 2002 season, he sent the entire group of Cowboys wide receivers to his chiropractor for adjustments, blood workups and nutritional analysis, and paid for the entire session out-of-pocket.
When Emmitt was asked if he ever gets used to the pain and abuse his body takes each season and how he gets past that each year, he replied,
"I think I take enough. I spend enough time trying to take care of my body and trying to remove some of the stress that the game itself puts on the body. I do that through massages, through chiropractic - a particular chiropractor that I see in Dallas and I try to eat properly and rest." "Some of it may seem hokey to some people,"
Emmitt said, referring to chiropractic.
"But if you traveled where I've traveled, done what I've done and seen the results that I've been getting, then you'd understand where I'm coming from."
In the October 16, 1998 issue of the USA Today, was an article that featured Emmitt. Emmitt is still one of the best players in the game. The article discusses his healthy lifestyle that includes regular chiropractic care.
"I started doing this (chiropractic) about four or five years ago," Smith said. "I believe that what I'm doing is what helps me go on. I think Warren Moon, (Seattle's 41 year old quarter back) does the same thing. So I've become a big believer in servicing my body and making sure it is lined up properly and functioning the way it is supposed to on Sunday."
Smith joins an ever-growing list of professional athletes who regularly receive chiropractic adjustments. In June during the NBA basketball finals star players Scotty Pippin, and John Stockton were among those who received chiropractic care during breaks in the sixth and final game of the championship series.
When LaDainian Tomlinson was still in college he called to ask Smith about his longevity, how he'd rushed for 1,000 yards for 10 straight seasons. What was Smith's advice? Messages on Monday and Friday said "find a good chiropractor."
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