Emmitt Smith On DWTS All Stars: “You cannot underestimate your opponents”

Esquire interviewed Emmitt Smith about dancing for a second time on Dancing With The Stars. They ask him everything from whether he’s going to win, what kind of shape he’s in, if he talks smack with the other contestants, who is his biggest competition, and lots more. I like how he replies to this part….

ESQUIRE.COM: Let’s call this thing right now. Are you going to win Dancing with the Stars again?

EMMITT SMITH: [Laughs] No. Not even close.

ESQ: You’re going to lose?

ES: I don’t know about that. I have no idea. It’s kind of hard to call anything. One week you’re at the top, and the next week you’re in the back. One week you think somebody’s going home, and then all of a sudden they’re saved and somebody else is gone. This show is very fluid that way. You just got to take it one week at a time, like you’re playing a football game. And you cannot underestimate your opponents.

ESQ: Who’s your biggest competition?

ES: That’s hard to say. This is a dance contest, but a lot of it’s based on fans and who calls in. Nobody really has any idea how big somebody’s fan base is.

ESQ: You could ballpark it.

ES: Yeah, but that doesn’t mean they’re picking up the phone. And it changes and grows from week to week.

ESQ: Have you seen the Vegas odds for Dancing with the Stars this season?

ES: I haven’t, no.

ESQ: Do you want to know?

ES: Maybe.

ESQ: You’re in the lead with a 3/2 chance of winning. Apolo [Anton Ohno] is a close second with 7/2 odds.

ES: That’s okay, I guess. But I also saw the Vegas odds before the Packers-Seahawks game. They didn’t predict that referee was going to make a bad call.

ESQ: So you’re saying don’t trust early predictions?

ES: Exactly. At the end of the day, all of that stuff is up in the air. Anything can happen. I just have to learn my dances and try to perfect my craft as much as possible. And then let the chips fall where they may.

I just love that athlete mentality. It’s no wonder so many of them win this show.

For the full interview, go to Esquire.