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Tonight, Emmitt Smith and his family will be taking on Todd Gurley II and his family in a new episode of ‘Celebrity Family Feud’.
Smith, 49, is a former college and professional football running back. He became the NFL’s all-time leading rusher during his time in the league.
Here’s what you should know about Smith’s family:
1. His Wife Won the Miss Virginia USA Crown in 1993
Patricia, Emmitt’s wife, is a former beauty pageant queen. She was crowned Miss Virginia USA in 1993. At the Miss USA pageant, she placed first runner-up to Lu Parker of South Carolina.
She also has tried her hand at writing, and penned the book “Second Chances”.
On top of that, Pat is the founder and spokesperson for Treasure You. She is involved in a number of charity organizations, and, along with Emmitt, founded the Pat and Emmitt Smith Charities.
2. Jasmin Is Emmitt Smith’s Stepdaughter
Emmitt is not Patricia’s first husband. For two years in the mid-90s, she was married to actor-comedian Martin Lawrence. The two reportedly met while she was working in Gov Douglas Wilder’s media office.
The couple had one child together– Jasmine Page Lawrence.
Smith was also in another relationship before Patricia. He had a child with his ex-girlfriend named Rheagen Smith. Patricia is the stepmother to Rheagan.
3. He Has Three Children with Patricia
With his wife, Patricia, Emmitt has three children: sons Emmitt James IV and Elijah James, and daughter Skylar Smith.
Asked by Yahoo how he is able to handle five children between the ages of 4 and 19, Emmitt says, “I don’t do it all by myself, that’s the wonderful thing about it. My wife handles a lot of the scheduling, and we have support who help us make sure we’ve got everything organized with the kids when it comes to parent-teacher conferences and their school activities and their after-school activities — things like soccer, basketball, football, cheerleading, gymnastics. Just getting it all on the calendar is a big job, and then understanding what we can be at, what we maybe can’t be at, and figuring out how to prioritize.”
Asked how he carves out individual time with each kid to make sure they all feel special, he said, “That is a task, making them each feel individually special. There are moments throughout the day that we try to have individual time with all of the kids. There are times that we are successful, and time that we are not. As a father, I try to be home with them in the morning and for dinner, and to have one-on-one time to either put one to bed, or help with homework.”
4. Rheagan Plays Soccer for Texas A&M
A warm Aggie welcome to @rheagensmith! She’s officially a part of the Texas A&M Soccer Family! #12thMan
In February 2017, ESPN announced that Rheagan Smith had signed a letter intent to pursue soccer at Texas A&M. According to Sports Day, Rheagen fell in love with the school during a visit her sophomore year.
A talented player, she competed in an under-18 national team camp run by US Soccer women’s technical director April Heinrichs during her senior year of high school.
Speaking about his daughter’s love of the sport after getting accepted to the university, Emmitt Smith said, “I know how hard she’s worked… Thirty years ago, I did it, and it’s kind of cool to see your child do what she loves and have a chance to continue that at the next level.”
5. Emmitt’s Sister Is a Breast Cancer Survivor
Last year, the Tampa Bay Rays invited Marsha Smith-Hill, Emmitt’s sister, to throw the pitch before their game against the Baltimore Orioles. Little did she know, her brother was going to surprise her at the pitcher’s mound.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Smith-Hill said, “I could cry because I had just spoken to him yesterday, and did not know that he was going to be here,” she said.
What does she have to say about combatting cancer? “I knew it was part of my journey,” she said. “Cancer claimed me. I didn’t claim cancer, so I told cancer, ‘You have a helluva fight on your hands. I’m not going down that easy.’”