Cowboys Legend Emmitt Smith Connects With Fans via Auction
Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith is putting items from his personal Football collection up for auction as part of a new partnership.
Throughout the 2021-2022 football season, Smith will be auctioning off game-worn and autographed items on eBay as a way of connecting with fans and collectors in a live, virtual environment.
The NFL’s all-time leading rusher has placed hand-selected memorabilia from his personal collection, accumulated over a 15-year Hall-of-Fame career, on eBay.
It's officially called an "exclusive auction" on eBay.
“The fans’ passion for the game and for their favorite players is what makes this space so special. It’s always been about the fans more than it is about the athletes,” Smith said in announcing the auction platform.
eBay is partnering with PROVA Group and Smith. Sellers can use PROVA Group’s services to verify their items as legitimate, and buyers can rest assured they are getting exactly what they pay for.
A majority of proceeds will go to Smith’s charitable organization, Pat and Emmitt Smith Charities, and their efforts to support underserved children with a focus on leadership development, school readiness and college scholarships.
“By partnering with PROVA Group, eBay is taking collector confidence to a whole new level by ensuring the value and historical information associated with each PROVA-tagged collectible is legit,” Smith said. “The marketplace’s values of trust, value and selection squarely align with PROVA Group’s, and it was only natural to bring our verification services to eBay’s customers. Together with eBay, we can connect millions of sports memorabilia enthusiasts with an amazing selection of one-of-a-kind collectibles verified by our service.”
Such as his No. 22 jerseys worn in actual games from his time with the Cowboys and even his short stint with the Arizona Cardinals. Smith guarantees authenticity, right down to the scuffs, marks and grass stains. Autographs and personal inscriptions are also available for the right fee, just in time for Christmas.
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And jerseys aren’t the only items that saw action in actual NFL games. A series of footballs that Smith carried into the end zone are also on the block, complete with a special panel featuring game date, score and Smith’s stats. Cleats and gloves are up for bid, too.
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There’s also a 1993 Pro Bowl team-signed football with signatures from Hall of Famers like Smith, Jerry Rice, Brett Favre and Barry Sanders, as well as Cowboys great Jay Novacek. Other autographed collectables include a Pro Football Hall of Fame induction picture, cards, coins and other awards.
Smith spent the bulk of his career with Cowboys and finished with an NFL-record 18,355 yards rushing and 175 touchdowns. Check out the full eBay collection here.
