Florida Gators
Utah
Catching up with former Gators star Emmitt Smith
Tuesday, September 20, 2011 | Football, Women's Tennis, Scott Carter
Emmitt Smith had a memorable weekend in his return to Gainesville.
Smith had dinner at Mark's Prime Steakhouse and Seafood on Friday night, “shocked'' to see the transformation of downtown Gainesville since he played for the Gators from 1987-89.
“It is absolutely awesome,'' Smith said, referring to the energy downtown. “It has truly elevated itself to a whole other level.”
On Saturday morning, Smith signed hundreds of copies of his new book, “Game On: Find Your Purpose – Pursue Your Dream,'' at the UF bookstore.
And on Saturday afternoon, Smith served as honorary captain for the Tennessee game, cheering the Gators on from the sideline and then speaking to the team after its 33-23 win.
“I wanted to play him,'' Gators coach Will Muschamp said afterward. “I asked him if he had a few snaps in him.''
Afterward, Smith headed back home to Texas, where he starred for the Cowboys and led Dallas to three Super Bowl titles in the 1990s. He retired as the NFL's all-time leading rusher and remains the single-season UF record holder when he rushed for 1,599 yards as a junior in 1989.
Here is a question-and-answer session Smith had with a small group of reporters prior to his book signing. Special thanks to Rachel George from the Orlando Sentinel for allowing me to copy her digital file of the interview:
Q: You wrote an autobiography in 1995 during your playing career. Why write another book?
A: The first book was fairly young in my career. The second book I've completed up my football career and amassed a bunch of different type of world experiences that would separate a young, growing, somewhat immature young man to, now I have a family, I've got my own businesses. The dynamics are totally different.
Q: So this is a wiser perspective?
A: Without a doubt, I think so. This is much deeper than just sports. This is about the human aspect of who we are as people.
Q: What do you see as your legacy at UF?
A: My legacy is in the minds of people. It's not for me to define. It's for them to keep and for them to define. I went out and did what I needed to do on the football field and let people appreciate the talent.
Q: What are your thoughts on Will Muschamp and the new coaching staff?
A: I'm just excited for what they are doing because some of the things they are doing, definitely offensively, is pro-type of stuff. With that pro offense, it's a good thing for a lot of kids coming in. I think Charlie Weis and I would have a good time.
Q: What will you say to the team if you are asked to? (This was before Smith knew if he would be speaking to the Gators).
A: For some of those guys, this is their last year. There is nothing more exciting than having your last year, but also there is a downside, because you don't know what's coming next. Make it the best year you can possibly make it. Because you don't want to leave nothing on the football field, or walk away from the football field and have any type of regrets. You need to go ahead and apply yourself mentally on the field and in the classroom and start thinking about what you want to do next outside of the game, because the game is going to come and go so quick. Today they are superstars on campus, tomorrow they are going to be back to a reality check.
Q: You took some criticism for failing to mention UF in your Pro Football Hall of Fame speech last year. You did come back the next day and mention UF. What happened there?
A: I realized my own self. And it didn't take a whole lot of reaching out; a bunch of Twitter stuff was coming all across the board and everything else. What people failed to understand is that I had a 25-minute speech prepared, and then on the day of, I had to condense it down. They wanted me to condense it down to like 15 minutes. So I'm like scrambling around in my mind and I've been thinking about this speech for almost five months, working on it, preparing in my mind the way it should go, the flow and everything else. Now you are asking me to rip stuff out. As a matter of fact, I forgot somebody else of importance to me like Whitey Jordan, who was my offensive coordinator for my junior year here. Lovely man, tremendous guy and I forgot to mention him.
Q: Did UF contact you?
A: I didn't talk to anyone from the university. I took it upon myself to do that, to go on the air and make sure I cleaned things up because some people just took things completely the wrong way. To question my loyalty and my love for this university is kind of insulting to me to be honest with you. But I humbled myself and came back and asked for forgiveness.
Q: How big was “Dancing With The Stars” for you?
A: It was absolutely huge. I can't even put a number on it. The crazy thing about it is this, if you are a Florida State fan, or a Miami fan, or a Georgia fan, or an LSU fan, or even a Tennessee fan, they like me because of Dancing with the Stars, not because of football. Dancing with the Stars was one of those kinds of things that actually brought people together, and that's a wonderful thing when you can bring people together.
Q: What did it do for your celebrity?
A: I can't break it down. I would say “Dancing With The Stars” did a whole lot for me. It crossed lines that I never really knew existed. That's an amazing thing. It brought me into homes of folks who never really saw what I did in football but appreciated what I did on the dance floor. People got a chance to see me from a whole different perspective.
Q: Which NFL running backs do you enjoy watching today?
A: I like watching Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson both because you know something exciting is going to happen. Let's say Adrian Peterson may be a Mercedes-Benz, and Chris Johnson is going to be Mustang. That Benz is a little bit bigger and that Mustang is a lot quicker, but they both get the job done.
Q: Can you see former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow making it in the NFL?
A: I get people asking me all the time about his NFL career, and I tell you what, [NFL analyst] Merril Hoge, as brutal as it was, may have given it a proper analysis. He could become a great quarterback. The question is can he develop the mechanics in a timely fashion to make it happen. There is no doubt about his leadership. At the National Football League level … all of them [defensive players] are looking at tape to find a weakness and they are studying it like a professional should. There is no doubt about his abilities as far as his leadership qualities. The question is can he elevate his technique and his skill level to the next level.
