Editing Emmitt Smith (section)

=== 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>