Wednesday, July 23, 1997

By ARNIE STAPLETON / AP Sports Writer

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) - Emory Smith wears No. 22, just like his famous brother in Dallas. The comparisons pretty much end there.

In seven years, Emmitt Smith, the Cowboys' 28-year-old star tailback, has won four NFL rushing titles and amassed 10,160 yards, a Super Bowl MVP award and three titles.

Emory, a 23-year-old undrafted free agent from Clemson who was better as a junior than a senior, has a more modest goal: He just wants to make the Green Bay Packers' roster.

"I get nervous, you know? Every day I walk in the locker room I'm wondering if I'm going to be there tomorrow or not," said Emory, a fullback who averaged 4.4 yards a carry and ran for 25 touchdowns in his four years at Clemson.

"I just can't give up. I can't let that stick in my head. I'm going to have to come out here every day and give it the best that I have every day. I feel if I can do that, I can make this squad."

Emory is vying with seventh-round draft pick Jerald Sowell for the backup spot behind bruising fullback William Henderson. Offensive coordinator Sherm Lewis says the call on which player to keep will be one of the closest.

Emory said he got some advice from Emmitt before reporting to camp.

"He told me really don't try to burn myself out too early. It's a long process, just pace yourself going through it," Emory said.

That's the thing about Emory: Everybody always wants to know about his brother. They compare him to his brother. They ask about his brother.

If he had a dime for every time somebody asked him "What's it like being Emmitt Smith's brother?" Emory might be just as rich as his brother.

Fans who swarm for his autograph after practice ask him about Emmitt. Emmitt this, Emmitt that. They seem not even to know his name is Emory.

"Hey, there's Emmitt's brother!"

"Can I get your autograph ... Mr. Smith?"

You'd think he'd get tired of talking about his brother.

Wrong.

Every time Emory is asked about Emmitt, his eyes light up, his spirit invigorated. He flashes that smile - and you see the resemblance.

"I like talking about him," Emory said. "He's a great athlete, but he's a great person, too. That's the side I like to talk about, him as a person and not what he's accomplished on the football field."

And being Emmitt's brother does have its rewards.

"It gets a lot of people to look at you," Emory said. "They want to see what you have, and that's the opportunity for me to show them what I have."

But bloodlines count for only so much in the cutthroat business of pro football.

Coach Mike Holmgren told Emory the same thing he told every other young player who arrived at training camp hoping to join the Super Bowl champs.

"The worst thing a young guy can do is start counting numbers and trying to determine who is going to make the football team," Holmgren said. "You go out there and work hard and when you get a chance to play in a game or in a scrimmage, do the best you can.

"There is no shame or embarrassment in not making a team as long as you give it your best shot. This is a harder team to make than it was five years ago. We've just got better players now."

Doesn't Emory know that.

The backfield includes Edgar Bennett, Dorsey Levens, Travis Jervey, Chris Darkins and Aaron Hayden, in addition to the trio of fullbacks.

"The competition is very tough, but I knew that was going to be the case anywhere," Emory said. "Any camp that I walked into, there was going to be competition."

He's just glad to get a shot at following his brother's footsteps. And he won't mind it one bit if he's on the field for the opener and somebody in the stands yells out, "Hey, there's Emmitt Smith's brother!"

His eyes will light up.