Editing Emmitt Smith (section)

==College career==

=== 1987 season ===
Smith accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the [[University of Florida]] in [[Gainesville, Florida|Gainesville]], where he played for coach [[Galen Hall]]'s [[Florida Gators football|Gators]] for three seasons {{nowrap|([[1987 Florida Gators football team|1987]]–[[1989 Florida Gators football team|1989]]).<ref name=ufmediaguide>''[http://web.gatorzone.com/football/media/2011/media_guide.pdf 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402035222/http://web.gatorzone.com/football/media/2011/media_guide.pdf |date=April 2, 2012 }}'', University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 82, 83, 86, 88, 92, 96, 98, 99, 101–102, 127, 138–140, 143, 146–148, 152, 158, 159, 162, 173, 185 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011.</ref>}} He did not start the first two games of his college career in the fall of 1987, but made the most of his opportunities in a second-week rout of [[Tulsa Golden Hurricane football|Tulsa]] in which he gained 109 yards on just ten carries, including a 66-yard touchdown run.<ref name="cnn2">{{cite news|last=Telander |first=Rick |url=http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1066692/index.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102154020/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1066692/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 2, 2013 |title=Hopes were high for Florida's Emmitt Smith and Ohio – 11.16.87 – SI Vault |publisher=[[Sports Illustrated]] |date=November 16, 1987 |access-date=December 26, 2008 }}</ref> That performance earned him a spot in the starting lineup the following week in the Gators' SEC opener against [[1987 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]] at [[Legion Field]].

In his first collegiate start, Smith promptly broke Florida's 57-year-old all-time single game rushing record held by [[Red Bethea]], carrying 39 times for 224 yards and two touchdowns as the Gators upset the Crimson Tide.<ref name="cnn1" /> Smith went on to break the 1,000-yard barrier in the seventh game of his freshman season, the fastest any running back had ever broken that barrier to begin his college career.<ref name="cnn1" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2011/FBS.pdf|title=NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records. p. 5}}</ref> He finished the season with 1,341 yards, was named SEC and National Freshman of the Year,<ref name=ufmediaguide /> and was ninth in the [[1987 NCAA Division I-A football season#Heisman Trophy|balloting]] for the [[Heisman Trophy]].<ref name="hewbytb">{{Cite news |last=Greene |first=Bob |date=December 6, 1987 |title=Heisman is won by Tim Brown |page=1E |work=Gainesville Sun |agency=Associated Press|via=Google News |location=(Florida) |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ukBWAAAAIBAJ&pg=4433%2C1791086}}</ref><ref name="ergheiv">{{Cite news |date=December 6, 1987 |title=Heisman voting |page=2F |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vnw1AAAAIBAJ&pg=5160%2C1615385 |via=Google News}}</ref><!--<ref name="ndwhesm">{{Cite news |date=December 6, 1987 |title=Notre Dame receiver wins the Heisman |page=1F |work=Eugene Register-Guard |agency=Associated Press|via=Google News |location=(Oregon) |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vnw1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=e-EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5021%2C1607597}}</ref>--><ref name="gatorzone1">{{cite web |url=http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=12405&sport=footb&html=football/news/20070721072100.html |title=Former Gator Great Emmitt Smith Enshrined Into College Football Hall of Fame |work=Gatorzone.com |date=July 21, 2007 |access-date=November 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001185604/http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=12405&sport=footb&html=football%2Fnews%2F20070721072100.html |archive-date=October 1, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== 1988 season ===
The Gators got off to a 5–0 start in [[1988 Florida Gators football team|1988]] with Smith averaging over 120 rushing yards per game. However, during the sixth contest against [[Memphis Tigers football|Memphis State]] in mid-October, he was sidelined with a sprained knee while starting quarterback Kyle Morris broke his finger, leading to an upset loss.<ref>{{cite news |title=Southeast Roundup: Florida Upset by Memphis State; LSU Beats Auburn With Late Score |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-10-09-sp-5466-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=October 9, 1988}}</ref> Smith was unable to return to action for a month, during which Florida lost four games in a row and did not score a touchdown in 14 consecutive quarters of play, including a 16–0 loss to [[1988 Auburn Tigers football team|Auburn]] that is their most recent shutout to date.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tully |first=Jonathan |date=October 30, 2021 |title=When was the last time the Florida Gators were shut out? It's been a long time. |url=https://www.gatorsports.com/story/football/2021/10/30/when-last-time-gators-were-shut-out-its-been-while/6214521001/ |website=Gatorspots.com |publisher=The Gainesville Sun}}</ref>

Smith returned to the lineup in mid-November and Florida won two of its final three games, highlighted by a victory in the [[1988 All-American Bowl]] in which he ran 55-yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage and was named the game's MVP.<ref name="bowlrecords">{{cite book | url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2011/Bowls.pdf | title=Bowl / All-Star Game Records | publisher=NCAA | year=2011 | pages=100}}</ref> Smith rushed for 988 yards on the year (not including the bowl game) at 110 yards per game, the lowest totals of his college career.<ref name=ufmediaguide />

=== 1989 season ===
Smith stayed healthy throughout his junior season in 1989 and found success again. He finished the campaign with Florida records for rushing yards in a season (1,599), rushing yards in a single game (316 versus [[University of New Mexico|New Mexico]] in October 1989), longest rushing play (96 yards against [[Mississippi State Bulldogs football|Mississippi State]] in 1988), career rushing yards (3,928), career rushing yards per game (126.7), and career rushing touchdowns (36), among many others. In all, Smith owned 58 school records at the conclusion of his Florida career<ref name=ufmediaguide /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmittsmith.com/ssp/highlights/ |title=Career Highlights |work=Emmitt Smith Official website |access-date=November 28, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081024145308/http://www.emmittsmith.com/ssp/highlights/ |archive-date=October 24, 2008 }}</ref> despite playing on Florida teams with virtually no passing game, which made him the focal point of opposing defenses.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-19-sp-389-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |title=Heisman Race: What Should Count Most? | first=Don | last=Markus |date=November 19, 1989 |access-date=May 2, 2010}}</ref>

At the conclusion of his junior season in [[1989 Florida Gators football team|1989]], Smith was named a first-team SEC selection for the third year and SEC Player of the Year, was a [[List of unanimous All-Americans in college football|unanimous first-team All-American]], and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy balloting.<ref name=ufmediaguide /><ref>''2012 NCAA Football Records Book'', [http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2012/Awards.pdf Award Winners], National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, pp. 9 & 14 (2012). Retrieved September 14, 2012.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1989 Heisman Trophy Voting |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/awards/heisman-1989.html |access-date=August 9, 2023 |website=[[Sports Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> In his final game in the [[1989 Freedom Bowl|Freedom Bowl]], he had few rushing attempts after Florida fell behind [[1989 Washington Huskies football team|Washington]] early and were forced to throw.<ref name=gsnflop>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rEpWAAAAIBAJ&pg=4949%2C9461934 |newspaper=Gainesville Sun |location=(Florida) |last=King |first=Bill |title=Florida finishes with a flop 34–7 |date=December 31, 1989 |page=1C}}</ref><ref name=erghroll>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xqxjAAAAIBAJ&pg=5192%2C8590617 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=Huskies roll past Florida in 34–7 win|date=December 31, 1989 |page=1D }}</ref><ref name=borst>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JLkSAAAAIBAJ&pg=3971%2C99714 |newspaper=Spokane Chronicle |location=(Washington) |last=Borst |first=Don |agency=McClatchey News Service |title=After Freedom Bowl win, Huskies optimistic for '90 |date=January 1, 1990 |page=C2}}</ref>

Days later on January 1, [[1990 Florida Gators football team|1990]], [[Steve Spurrier]] was introduced as the Gators' new head coach.<ref name=spacfof>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sklOAAAAIBAJ&pg=6351%2C50526 |work=Wilmington Morning Star |location=(North Carolina)|last=Kallestad |first=Brent |title=Spurrier accepts Florida offer |date=January 1, 1990 |page=1B}}</ref> Smith, concerned about his potential role in Spurrier's reportedly pass-first offense, decided to forgo his senior year at Florida and enter [[1990 NFL draft|the NFL draft]], which for the first time in history allowed juniors to be eligible.<ref name="espn1" />{{efn-ua|Smith's school rushing record would be broken by [[Errict Rhett]], Spurrier's first starting running back at Florida, albeit over four seasons instead of three and on 173 more rushing attempts.<ref name=ufmediaguide />}} Smith returned to the university during the NFL off-season and completed his bachelor's degree in 1996.

Smith was subsequently inducted into the [[List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members|University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame]] as a "Gator Great" in 1999,<ref>F Club, Hall of Fame, [http://www.gatorfclub.org/hall-of-fame/greats  Gator Greats]. Retrieved December 14, 2014.</ref><ref>Dwight Collins, "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6H9RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pggEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6401,5980827&dq=emmitt-smith+university-of-florida+hall-of-fame&hl=en UF inductees bask in glory]," ''Ocala Star-Banner'', p. 7D (September 11, 1999). Retrieved July 23, 2011.</ref> the [[Gator Football Ring of Honor]] and the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 2006.<ref>College Football Hall of Fame, Hall of Famers, [{{College Football HoF/url|id=2187}} Emmitt Smith]. Retrieved April 12, 2011.</ref> As part of a series of articles written for ''The Gainesville Sun'' in 2006, he was recognized as the No. 3 all-time player among the top 100 from the first 100 years of the Gators football program.<ref>Robbie Andreu & Pat Dooley, "[http://www.gainesville.com/article/20060831/GATORS70/60830007  No. 3 Emmitt Smith]," ''The Gainesville Sun'' (August 31, 2006). Retrieved March 30, 2013.</ref>