Emmitt Smith invited back to UF in a way he never has been before
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Gator Great Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher, has been welcomed back to the University of Florida on multiple occasions. Earlier this month, however, he received a different kind of invitation.
Appearing on the Pivot Podcast with Ryan Clark and former Gators Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor, Smith walked in the room and embraced all three — although he brushed off Crowder in search of Taylor.
“Where Fred at?” Smith says as Crowder greeted him. He then hugged Taylor. “What’s up Gator. My boy.”
Clark joked, “See Channing, he don’t even know you went to Florida.”
As Smith sat down for the interview, he told Crowder and Taylor about a package that came in the mail for him.
“I got something from my Gators this week for the first time. Tickets, and everything else, to any home game that’s available. Gator basketball, (any sport). And I’m like, it’s been 30-somethin’ years, this the first time?”
Crowder asked if it was the first time Smith had been formally invited back to his alma mater.
“No, it’s not the first time I’ve been invited back,” Smith clarified. “But what makes this different is because they sent me tickets. They’re saying I got tickets. Four tickets… to any game, specifically. It came in a Gator package.”
“They gotta reach out more,” Crowder responded. “That’s my point,” Smith said.
“A legend like you?” Crowder continued.
“Man, that legend is left in history,” said Smith, who broke 58 school records and scored 38 touchdowns in his UF career. “That’s what they celebrate, the history of what this guy did. Now they’re starting to bring the guy in.”
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“They are,” Taylor chimed in. “They’re trying to get it together.”
“They should get it together,” Smith said. “It’s crazy it’s taken that long, though,” Taylor added.
Smith rushed for nearly 4,000 yards in three seasons with the Gators, finishing with 3,928 yards on 700 carries (5.6 average). His career rushing total was broken by Eric Rhett (4,163 yards) in 1993, but Smith still holds the school records for single-season rushing yards (1,599 – ’89; 1,341 – ’87) and the most yards in a single game (316 – ’89; 224 – ’87).
Smith earned the 1989 SEC Player of the Year Award and finished seventh in the Heisman race. He also was a three-time All-SEC pick during his college career. Smith returned to UF during the NFL offseason and completed his bachelor’s degree in 1996.
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