Editing Emmitt Smith (section)

=== 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>