Emmitt Smith reveals he would have gone to Auburn had he not picked Florida

NFL legend Emmitt Smith had a great career at Florida, before going on to be one of the best running backs of all time.

Smith had three strong seasons with the Gators and eventually landed in the College Football Hall of Fame thanks to his time playing in Gainesville.

Smith recently shared that there was another SEC school that had his attention during the recruiting process. He joined SEC This Morning on Monday and explained who else he heavily considered.

“It wouldn’t have been at Florida State, I can promise you that,” Emmitt Smith said with a laugh. “Nah, it would’ve been at the University of Auburn, probably.”

The Tigers did an excellent job of recruiting Smith and certainly had his attention. Smith considered following in the footsteps of Bo Jackson and playing for Pat Dye, before ultimately choosing to play for the Gators instead.

“When I was coming out, Bo Jackson had just won the Heisman a couple of years before that. And Auburn and Pat Dye had committed to me, ‘Here’s the campaign. Here’s what we’re going to do to get you the Heisman. Because we want you to have the Heisman,’” Smith recalled.

There were other factors that also led to Smith considering the Tigers.

“Auburn took pride in running the football. They were on grass, so that was one motivating factor for me, as well, but Auburn would’ve been the school,” he said.

Obviously signing with Florida worked out just fine for Emmitt Smith. He was named the SEC Player of the Year following his junior season and was a unanimous first-team All-American that year.

Smith was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft and went on to win three Super Bowls, a Super Bowl MVP and the NFL MVP. He is the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.

Billy Napier reflects on Emmitt Smith’s impact on Florida

Current Florida coach Billy Napier is appreciative of what Emmitt Smith did for the Gators program.

Napier reflected on the legendary running back’s impact on his program.

“Emmitt was great. For a guy my age, when Emmitt Smith walks up on you, that’s pretty impactful,” said Naiper. “But Emmitt did a lot for this place. He had an unbelievable career after the University of Florida, but when you think about his impact here as a player; I’m hopeful to see him around more often. This is a place he’s welcome. (He) did a lot for the place, and certainly, we’re trying to create an environment where those guys that played here can come back anytime they want to.”