A Dallas Cowboys Emmitt Smith Jersey Is the One Throwback I'd Buy Twice

My closet is mostly navy and silver, which my wife finds hilarious since we live nowhere near Texas. The jersey that actually gets worn, though, is a No. 22 I bought secondhand — soft collar, a couple of creases in the twill that will not come out, and it still gets grabbed before anything else. A Dallas Cowboys Emmitt Smith jersey isn't a costume to me. It's just a genuinely good shirt with a story attached.

If you're new to the name, here's why that number carries so much weight. Emmitt Smith went 17th overall to Dallas in 1990 out of Florida and spent 13 seasons there. He retired with 18,355 rushing yards, still the NFL record, plus 164 rushing touchdowns. Three Super Bowl rings, MVP of Super Bowl XXVII, and the 1993 league MVP award. Dallas inducted him into the Ring of Honor in 2005, Canton came calling in 2010, and the number 22 hasn't been handed out since he left.

Now the part that trips people up: the 22s you see listed online are not all the same product. Nike's NFL line runs in tiers. Game is the entry level, with printed or lightly stitched details and a looser body. Limited steps up to stitched numbers, a stitched nameplate, and a trimmer cut. Elite is the closest thing to on-field spec, with the heaviest fabric and the tightest fit. Mitchell & Ness runs the other direction entirely, chasing old-school materials and boxier vintage cuts. After working through a cheap knockoff and one mid-tier version, here's where I landed: a Dallas Cowboys Emmitt Smith jersey is the one throwback I'd buy twice, one to beat up on Sundays and one to keep sharp. Which tier you pick changes how it sits on your shoulders far more than any product photo lets on.

Sizing is where most people get burned. Nike's Game jerseys run S through 3XL and they're cut roomy. I'm about 5'11" and 180, and a medium fits over a hoodie without swallowing me. Limited and Elite use numeric sizes — 40, 44, 48 and up — and a 40 is roughly what most folks would call a medium. Two rules I stick to:

• Want to layer a hoodie underneath? Size up in Elite, not in Game.
• Between two sizes and want a normal t-shirt feel? Take the smaller one in Limited.
• Women's and youth cuts exist, so measure a shirt they already own instead of guessing.

Then there's the colorway question. The white jersey with the blue star and silver pants is the look most people picture from those early-90s Super Bowl runs, since Dallas wore white at home for most of that stretch. Navy feels more modern, and honestly it hides stains better, which matters when you're actually wearing the thing instead of framing it. Both are legit — pick whichever matches the photos you remember.

Care is simple, and skipping it is how a good jersey turns into a rag. Cold water, inside out, gentle cycle, then hang it to dry. Skip the fabric softener, because it coats the twill and dulls the shine. Never press an iron straight onto the numbers, either. If something's wrinkled, lay a thin towel between the iron and the fabric and keep the heat low. Dryer sheets are the enemy too.

If this is a gift, size is where it goes wrong far more often than the team or the name. Any Cowboys fan will be happy with a 22, but a jersey that fits badly lives in the back of the closet forever. Ask what size t-shirt they wear and work from there. And if you're stuck between tiers, Game is the more forgiving choice for a surprise. Mine has survived four seasons of Sundays and at least two questionable nacho incidents, and I'd still pick the same one again.