ALL EYES ON EMMITT SMITH CARRIES ADDED BURDEN ON HIS RUN FOR RUSHING RECORD.

Byline: Matthew Kredell Staff Writer

OXNARD - Emmitt Smith hopped backward and kicked a chunk of grass into the air when breaking the opposite direction, conjuring the image of a linebacker lying in his wake as he adds to his NFL record of rushing touchdowns.

But the only thing he deked was an orange cone.

It is 15 minutes after the Dallas Cowboys' evening practice. Smith's young teammates are either recuperating in the locker room or signing autographs. The 11-year veteran is approaching Walter Payton's mark of 16,726 career rushing yards - and working on cone drills.

``That's Emmitt Smith,'' said former Granada Hills High linebacker Jamal Brooks, one of 34 first-year players on the Cowboys' training-camp roster. ``He's been in the league (11 years), about to break the rushing record of all time, and he's still out there after practice working hard. He's an inspiration to us young players.''

Smith already has helped rebuild the Cowboys once. When he entered the league as a first-round pick out of the University of Florida in 1990, Dallas was coming off a one-win season. In two years, he helped lead them to the playoffs.

At 32, he doesn't need to do it again. Smith has three Super Bowl rings. He has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 10 consecutive seasons. He could be retired. Most running backs his age are. He could be golfing with Troy Aikman or doing whatever it is Michael Irvin does when not in court.

Instead, Smith is introducing himself to new teammates who were in elementary school when he broke into the league.

``Initially, I was like, man, I don't know anybody here,'' Smith said. ``And the funny thing is, some guys don't know you either. I mean, they know you, but they don't know you. They don't know how to approach you and they're as uncomfortable with you as you are with them.''

So Smith smiles and laughs, strutting around camp with the confidence of a veteran but the jubilance of a rookie. He jokes with fans. He teases new teammates to keep them at ease.

``You have to have fun,'' Smith said. ``If you cannot have fun playing this game and have the excitement of being around it and loving the game as much as I do, it will get dull to you. And it gets dull to me, even though I do have fun. I've got to joke and laugh and do something to break the monotony of being in camp.''

All the while, people wonder what a future Hall of Fame running back is doing on a team that finished 5-11 last year, its worst record since Smith began his

career. A team starting a rookie quarterback in second-round pick Quincy Carter.

``Quite naturally, I miss the guys,'' Smith said of the retired players who made the Cowboys the team of the 1990s. ``Those guys helped me get to where I am now. They have been a big part of all the success I have had. I envisioned all of us riding off into the sunset together, but that's not the way the league is anymore.''

This is the salary-cap era. After holding on for so long, sacrificing the future with an ``I would gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today'' mentality, the Cowboys find themselves at rock bottom.

No, Smith doesn't need to be here. He wants to be.

Smith admits breaking the career rushing record drives him. It's the reason he woke up at 5:30 a.m. to work out and lift weights during the offseason. It's the reason he stays after practice to run drills he has done a thousand times before.

At 15,166 yards, Smith needs 1,561 to surpass Payton as the NFL's all- time leading rusher. He could do it this year, or more likely the following season. Smith has rushed for more than 1,500 yards twice but not since 1995. If he passes the mark in 2002, Smith will break the record in the same number of years it took Payton, 13.

Before that, he will surpass Barry Sanders, the NFL's second all-time leading rusher. Smith is only 103 yards behind Sanders, who left the Detroit Lions om 1998 aftr nine seasons and 15,269 yards.

Smith said he didn't closely follow Payton's career, which ended in 1987, but that he admired the way the Bears star worked for his yards.

``He wasn't fast or big or real flashy,'' Smith said of Payton. ``He had a knack for making people miss. He had great vision, great balance, great leg strength. And he was really tough and had a lot of heart.''

It's obvious why Smith would like Payton. That could well have been a description of himself. Smith is 5-foot-9, 209 pounds compared to Payton at 5-10, 202 pounds. He doesn't impress with his straight-away speed but with his vision.

Each year there are questions about how much longer Smith can play at this level. He is the second-oldest starting running back in the league behind Ricky Watters of Seattle. But he has been a durable player over his career, starting 186 of 188 games despite an assortment of injuries.

``Emmitt never changes,'' said offensive coordinator Jack Reilly. ``He just gets his reps and does his job. He's been consistent his entire career.''

But have the Cowboys changed around him. Smith hopes he can help turn this team around, teach the young players how to win. He might be able to make a difference, but he won't be around to see the results.

Barring a miracle, the Cowboys aren't going to make the playoffs this year or next. But Smith can put them on the right path. His pursuit of the record will take the attention off Carter, who has not looked ready for the NFL during camp.

``Obviously, Emmitt is going to be pumped up to get the football this year,'' Cowboys coach Dave Campo said. ``For a young quarterback making those kinds of decisions, Emmitt is probably going to be able to say some things in the huddle that can have a calming effect of some sort.''

Getting the football should not be a problem for Smith this season. The team had been trying to cut back on his carries to keep him fresh. But with a young quarterback and plenty of holes on defense, Campo said the Cowboys are going to stay conservative and try to control the clock - even if it means running against eight-man fronts.

``Having Emmitt around helps a lot,'' Carter said. ``They have to pay more attention to him than they pay to me.''

Smith will likely be the only thing worth paying attention to on the Cowboys this year. That's why his chase of the record is so important, not only to him but to his teammates. It will be a bright spot for the team to rally around during a losing season.

``I think anybody who blocked for him feels like a part of it,'' said six-time Pro Bowl selection Larry Allen, who has opened many holes for Smith with his 325-pound body.

Most Cowboys players have had little to do with Smith's past. Only Allen and safety Darren Woodson were around when the Cowboys won their last Super Bowl in 1995. But many are excited to be a part of his future.

``I have a lot of experiences,'' Smith said. ``With those experiences, I want to share with the younger guys so hopefully they can get the picture of what it took for the team back then and what it's going to take for this team.''

RUSH TO JUDGMENT

Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys is third on the NFL's all-time rushing yards list - perhaps two seasons from challenging Walter Payton's record.

Walter Payton  16,726

Barry Sanders 15,269

EMMITT SMITH 15,166

Eric Dickerson  13,259

Tony Dorsett 12,739

Jim Brown 12,312

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, chart

Photo:

(1 -- color) no caption (Emmitt Smith)

(2 -- color) Running back Emmitt Smith enters his 12th NFL season as the team leader.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

Chart: RUSH TO JUDGMENT (see text)