Emmitt Smith Quotes

I think anytime you can take as much off the quarterback as possible, that only helps them out in the long run.

The quarterback gets plenty of protection in the pocket, and he picks up protection out of the pocket; he's got protection down the field on his slides.

First thing, and it's really one of my favorite things, is the protection part. Who everybody is blocking and where the pressure is coming from. Because if we can't get the ball off, it doesn't matter what you're doing out here.

The quarterback is the most vulnerable one on the field. He's in an awkward position a lot of times when he throws the ball. So he does have to be protected. You lose a quarterback, you're in trouble. I don't know if they can make it too safe. I think health becomes an issue.

The more space you have there, the better it is for the quarterback, because he's got room to move around there to avoid a rush. And also, after the point of contact, if the rusher does beat me, he still has to go another four yards before he makes a sack. Versus if you drop straight back, he only has to go two more yards.

So the truth is, if there's a lesson to be learned from mobile quarterbacks, it is deliver the ball from the pocket, which demands mastery of the data that is involved working in the pocket, which is, 'I know everything about everything.'

It doesn't make much sense to blitz a guy that gets rid of the ball in less than 1.5 seconds.

A defensive coordinator is always going to try to throw you something different and get you out of your element, and I have to do better with the pass protection.

I'm just going out there and doing my job, so whatever it is - if it's a hard slide protection, if it's a double team, or even a triple team or a chip - whatever it is, I'm just finding ways to win, so that's about it.

I worked at a place that followed a system where the quarterback was taught to take the sack rather than force the throw. That's kind of an old-school theory, but it has existed in this game.

You can't put a running back in there and have him not know who to pick up. You can't get your quarterback hit.

If you pay a QB $10 million, you don't want him to run the ball.

Third down is a big thing with a quarterback: pinpoint accuracy, making good decisions.

The best advice I try to give a young quarterback is, you need to know what you're doing. You need to know what you're doing, because if you know where to go with the football, you can get rid of it and throw it and you won't get hit.

I'm a great pass catcher. I'm excellent in pass protection, which is the most important thing. You can't play, you can't get on the field if you don't protect that franchise quarterback.

There is a strike zone in the pocket that's very clear. Can't hit QBs low, can't hit them high.

I'm going to play the quarterback position the way coaches install the plays; I'm going to go through the reads just like they install it.

A guy like Drew Brees is a guy that knows how to undress a defense. Most of the time he knows where he's gonna go before he even gets the ball. So he's ready to deliver that ball almost as soon as it comes to his hands.

You have a little more time to make moves when you're in the slot.

I think one thing as far as my learning curve and what I'm learning - there is a time to take a sack, and then there is also a time to try to find a way to maybe throw the ball at a receiver's feet.

Football's always been cerebral. The most important thing is thinking fast.

I think my game isn't very flashy, but the test of time for the position of quarterback is how fast can you get the ball out of your hands to the right guy? And I think I do that better than everyone else.

I'm not fast, so I have to be able to throw from the pocket.

But that's something I enjoyed. That's the game, the challenge, trying to think 'what am I am aiming to do here? Where do I want to pass the ball? What area do I want to get it in?' Then it's instinct... but that's just me, that's how I was made, that's my make-up.

When you've got a quarterback's rhythm in the game, you can be a pretty deadly pass rusher.