Emmitt Smith's emotional speech highlights Hall of Fame inductions but did he purposely snub the Gators? Doubt it.

GAINESVILLE -- Florida coach Urban Meyer took a break from fall camp this weekend to visit his home state and attend the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Former Gator Emmitt Smith was inducted along with Jerry Rice, Rickey Jackson (Pahokee!), Dick LeBeau, John Randle, Floyd Little and Russ Grimm.

One of five members of UF's exclusive Ring of Honor, Smith starred at Florida for three years before being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys. He enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame as the NFL's top runner with 18,355 yards. He is also the NFL's leader in rushing touchdowns (164), seasons with 1,000 or more yards rushing (11) and games with 100 or more yards rushing (78).

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones introduced Smith and Smith's acceptance speech was emotional and touching. His tribute to Cowboys' fullback Daryl Johnson was especially moving. For some strange reason, Smith didn't mention the University of Florida. Maybe he just wanted to focus on the professional aspect of his football career. After all, it is the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I've spoken briefly with Smith in the past about his time in Gainesville and he didn't seem bitter.

For what it's worth, every year there are several prominent photographs of Smith in the Gators' football media guide, which doubles as a recruiting tool. There is a photo of Smith receiving his degree in 1996 on page 18 of this year's media guide. The caption reads: "Emmitt Smith, the NFL's career rushing leader, came back to Florida in the spring of 1996 to earn his degree in public recreation after completing courses during the NFL offseason." On page 27, there's an even larger photo of Smith (shaking hands with Meyer during a game) in a section of the media guide entitled "Gators in the NFL."

Finally, one criterion to merit consideration for UF's Ring of Honor seems to discredit a conspiracy that Emmitt Smith holds contempt for his alma mater. It reads: "For a player or coach to merit consideration for induction into the Gator Football Ring of Honor, at least one of the following criteria must be met. In addition, the individual must have been departed from UF for at least five seasons, and he must be in good standing with the institution."

-Here is the complete transcript of Emmitt Smith's induction speech. LINK!

-jo-

Comments

[Gatorbuc15]

The Hall Of Fame induction, was all about Emmit's pro career. Not his college career at UF! If anyone really got insulted or offended by this in any way, is to emotional and hiper sensitive. This is a non issue people!
RELAX

[Gatorbuc15]

By the way, it's been reported that he just apolagized for not including UF in his speech. And personally, I don't believe he had to do that! So, does everybody feel better now? Crybabies.

[U Go Gator]

No apologeez my # 22

Unconditional

[Axe Kyle Morris]

Part 22 duex

[Set Hut]

2 tight I lead draw ...

who's the fullback ?

[Set Hut ... hut hut]

2 tight I lead draw

[Set Hut ... hut hut ... set hut hit hut]

2 tight I lead draw

Full flat ...

wide open

[JoeGoodyMiaHrld]

What's going on here? Tighten up, people!

-jo-

[2 bottles of vodka and a thong underwear model named Timmy]

WHAT JO??? uRBAN AND EMMITT CAN GO TO THE PREVIOUS POSTING AND LAUGH AT MY HAIRCUT....TELL FRANKIE TO BRING THE VODKA.

[No Excuses, ANY1, ANYWHERE...]

That section of the media guide of GAYtors in the pros (ALL-PROS) must b a pretty small section..
The biggest section 4 the GAYtors is the police blotter section.
Its the BIGGEST section in the CANES media guide along with the section on its '5' National Championship..
Soon 2 b 6..

[Canes > Turds]

Jo -

The reason Emmitt didn't mention the Turds is that he's a HUGE Canes fan, just like Udonis Haslem. Michael Irvin got him converted from the dark side when he saw how much love his alma mater gives him, something he never got from Trailorville. Bet you didn't know that most his proceeds from Grecian commercials go to the Hurricane Club, huh?

[Billybob54]

Get over it gaytors he's just not a big fan of UF deal with it & move on.

[Kissinger]

This just in, canes athletic department seeking bailout money from new proposed Obama stimulus package. Shalala was detained during a trip to Irael seeking venture capital to achieve the same end. Even the jews are gainst the canes now.

[Howard Dean]

lol Kissinger.

[Go Canes]

I hate the Gators, but gotta give Joe credit. Guy is able to pull out words like tonsured, can take the long view of the Emmitt Smith HOF speech, and contributes to the comments.

Joe >>> Shandel.

[No Excuses, ANY1, ANYWHERE...]

Emmitt Smith talked 4 '24 MINUTES' at his HOF induction & didnt mention the GAYtors once. He talked about his high school, players & coaches & didnt mention the GAYtors once.
The other 6 players inducted with Emmitt all mentioned thier colleges. In fact Emmitt is the only inductee not 2 mention his college.
That the difference between CANES & GAYtors, ex-CANES r proud of thier school & area & come back every chance they can. Where ex-GAYtors dont even return 4 thier induction in2 the ring of honor.

[FAMU for Life]

Yeah! No excuses! They're playing us aren't they?

[No Excuses, ANY1, ANYWHERE...]

ONLY B/C U GURLS WOULDNT PLAY US. WE KEPT THAT SPOT OPEN 2 PLAY U, BUT MORE EXCUSES OUT OF FOOOLEY & THE REST OF U GURLS...

[the crying game]

waaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh. no one wants to play in our empty stadium. waaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh. no wants to eat our awful stadium food. waaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh. why are we so irrelevant? waaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh

[No Excuses, ANY1, ANYWHERE...]

THE EXCUSES KEEP ON COMIN...

[the crying game]

..and you're authoring them..

[OrlandoCaneFIn]

Emmitt does not mention UFELONY because he is embarrassed that Urban Cryer showed up at the ceremony in Canton and all he could do was cry about Tim Tissues new hair style.

Blawaaahhhhh

[Paul Mehrige]

I like my alma mater. Just ask me about my life as a Cane.

[No Excuses, ANY1, ANYWHERE...]

24 minutes and no mention of the GAYtors, what an EMBARRASSMENT.
Its never happened in the history of the HOF where a player DIDNT mention his alma mater. (& GAYtors doin it later doesnt change the facts, he mentioned his high school 4 'god sake').

[J. Noah]

Dang Mr. President, how come there ain't no Canes out here shootin' hoops with us?

[Pres Obama]

Because they suck at B-ball too Mr. Noah.

[He does not want anyone to see how bad they suck]

The scouts, according to UM, represented the Titans, Eagles, Vikings, Chiefs, Panthers and Bears

Who's watching the gators practice at urbans secret compound?

[Bloody Credit Cards]

I like my alma mater. Just ask me about my life as a Cane.

Posted by: Paul Mehrige | August 09, 2010 at 10:15 PM

I guess that is just another example of your "Gator parody" skills, you demented freak.

For a school with a history of serial killers on CAMPUS, you truly are a sick individual to bring up a guy like Mehrige, who had mental problems LONG after he left the university of Miami. Not at all tied to the University of Miami when he commited his crimes. But of course, that doesn't matter to your "parody" skills, right sicko?

Just ask these two guys about their lives in Gainesville, you sick racist obsessed freak. Danny Rolling and Donald Fair must be your idols.

http://danny-rolling.blogspot.com/2006/10/former-gainesville-officer-murders-in.html

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20040521/LOCAL/205210330

You are truly a sicko racist piggy to throw stuff like out there and then act hurt when someone retaliates, you hypocrite.

Don't you have a funeral to go taunt or a cross to burn, you racist piggy?

[Johnny Jones]

Posted by: He does not want anyone to see how bad they suck

Good one - keep 'em coming.

[J12 lookin deisel]

http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/tumblr_l6u32jvHqu1qd3dzlo1_1280.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0RYTHV9YYQ4W5Q3HQMG2&Expires=1281479371&Signature=PVWUpLGZR4BGHv69ovcUciNHJlQ%3D

[Paul Mehrige and the rest of UM alumi]

BCC - odd how dancing on the graves of those in G-ville (e.g. Pell,Slonina, Guilford) is fun but doing the same in Miami is gross. Obviously both are disgusting. Fact is, you are here doing it in someone else's house...guess that makes you the grosser sicko. What else would we expect from someone bringing up Danny Rolling.

I guess every town has its Ted Bundy.

[Bloody Credit Cards]

BCC - odd how dancing on the graves of those in G-ville (e.g. Pell,Slonina, Guilford) is fun but doing the same in Miami is gross. Obviously both are disgusting. Fact is, you are here doing it in someone else's house...guess that makes you the grosser sicko. What else would we expect from someone bringing up Danny Rolling.

I guess every town has its Ted Bundy.

Posted by: Paul Mehrige and the rest of UM alumi | August 10, 2010 at 10:14 AM

You are purposely missing the point. You posted this kind of stuff in the Canes blog. I have asked multiple times for you to leave your racist garbage out of the Canes blogs. In other words, your trolls were doing that in "someone else's house" long before I finally retaliated. Since your troll did it first, and with much more disgusting comments (laughing at murder victims, claiming they deserved it, and suggesting the lynching of our head coach because he is black), makes him by far the grosser sicko.

We have asked for tolerance, that was ignored. We asked for moderation, that was ignored. We asked for a truce, that was ignored. An eye for an eye appears to be the only option remaining. You can thank your blog terrorist for my visit. He stops, then I have no reason to return.

[olaf the ombudsman]

Posted by: Bloody Credit Cards

First, I was in Gainesville during the rollings killings..Totally uncalled for.

Secondly, you can't police anonymous blogs - so be a frigging adult and quite the retaliation for some "rogue" gator fan. If you can't find enough will power to not read his nonsense, than stay on Canespace. You prove just to be as feeble minded as him

[Paul Mehrige and the rest of UM alumi]

Hey BCC - how would anyone know that the "rogue" poster on Hurrilame-blogs is not you?

[Bloody Credit Cards]

So the Paul Mehrige comment is acceptible, but the Danny Rollings response is uncalled for? The Paul Mehrige comment by the blog racist was unsolicited, unasked for, and uncalled for, but you figure it is okay for him to do that. No, it was VERY called for, and called for by your buddy that continues to use that name.

Anonymous blogs CAN be policed, Manny does it here at the Herald, preventing the racist from spewing his hate. Try posting that stuff about Mehrige on his blog, and you will get rejected.

You keep saying that we should let him have his fun on Canes blogs but that we cannot retaliate on Gator blogs. Sounds like a bit of a one-sided truce you are offering there. Tell him to leave the Canes fans alone, or at LEAST reserve his comments to sports discussion.

He seems to enjoy inflicting pain, but not receiving it in response. Sending Canes fans to Canespace so that you and your other terrorists can attack Canes sites with impunity is not a valid solution.

Curse, for the suggestion that I am you, I bet that Joe Goodman can see how different our IP addresses are. I have been on here less than two weeks, you have been going on the attack of Canes sites for about three years now. Big difference, hypocritical disgusting piggy.

Leave us alone, it's all anyone is asking.

[Lover of all that is good and right!]

@ BCC -- Oh Great Arbiter of Social and Literary Justice! We are thankful for your verbal sword of judgment! No matter how onesided it really is! Perhaps you can apply your superior skills geopolitically and end wars and famines! Until then please stay away from Gator Blogs!

[Bloody Credit Cards]

You first, sicko.

[If the glove don't fit you must acquit!]

If Manny's blog is moderated, none of the abusive stuff gets posted there...so what's your beef? This is the blog getting smeared with hate posts by non-Gator people. We should be bent out of shape. Ironic that a Hurricane fan is bent of shape about this. Shouldn't it be the other way around?

[Bloody Credit Cards]

My beef is that Manny's blog is moderated BECAUSE of the comments that the piggy used to post on there about lynching and how on the day after Pata's death he crowed about it and claimed it was due to Pata being a drug dealer. My beef is that the Sun Sentinel and Palm Beach Post blogs are still full of his racist hatred. Like I said, if he leaves our blogs alone, I have no reason to come here. I am just giving him back what he has been doing to Canes fans for years, and even that is a small dose compared to the sheer tonnage of hatred he has spewed on all three Canes blogs. I am hoping that a tiny bit of empathy might occur and that he will stop the constant efforts to bring pain to folks grieving for a death.

The choice is his.

[GAYtors do excuses, CANES play ANY1, ANYWHERE...]

24 minutes and no mention of his alma mater..
WHAT AN EBARRASSMENT...

[Springer]

Who is the kook yammering about anyway? Somebody's got issues!