Gators Name Emmitt Smith Mr. Two Bits Despite, or Maybe Because of, Conflict

Florida Gators legend Emmitt Smith will be Mr. Two Bits this weekend when the Gators take on his son's Texas A&M squad.

Florida Gators legend Emmitt Smith will be honorary Mr. Two Bits when the Gators take on his son's Texas A&M squad on Saturday. / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

The Florida Gators announced on Tuesday afternoon, via X, that former Gator and NFL great Emmitt Smith would serve as the honorary Two Bits against Texas A&M. 

Smith is one of the best running backs to ever step foot on campus in Gainesville. In his time with the Gators, he was an absolute highlight machine and broke numerous school records. Some of these records include holding the most rushing yards in a season (he holds the top two actually) and the most rushing yards in a single game (again, holds the top two). 

Additionally, as for individual accolades, he was the 1989 SEC Player of the Year and a three-time All-SEC selection. 

However, his dominance didn’t stop there. Smith was selected in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990 draft and, as a rookie, he instantly became one of the best running backs in the league. 

In his debut season, he rushed for 937 yards and added 11 touchdowns on his way to being named Offensive Rookie of the Year. He wasn’t a one season wonder either. Following his rookie year, he led the league in rushing yards with 1,563. 

By the end of his career, the Pro Football Hall of Famer rushed the ball for 18,355 yards across 15 seasons, which is the current record for the most career rushing yards in the NFL. Also, the next closest is Walter Payton who is just under 2000 yards shy of Smith (16,726).  

It is always great having one of the best to ever wear the Orange and Blue back in Gainesville and it will be even better on Saturday with him taking over as the honorary Two Bits. 

Awkward Time to be Two Bits Though

While it is awesome having Smith as Two Bits, it certainly could cause a temporary divide with a certain son of his. When Texas A&M makes their way to Gainesville, his son, EJ Smith, will be on the opposing team’s sideline.  

His son originally began with Stanford before joining the Aggies. Florida did push for his services out of high school, but fell short of landing his commitment. He then spent four years with the Cardinal, before making a summer move to College Station this offseason. 

Now that he is with the Aggies, this gives his father a predicament on who to support. 

Will Emmitt go with family loyalty and push for an Aggies win? This could elicit an uproar among the Gator fanbase, who are already dealing with so much pain. 

Will he stick with the Orange and Blue? This might not be the best option if he wants to embrace his son after the game. 

But despite him being in this situation, it doesn’t sound like he is too stressed about which way he is leaning heading into the weekend. 

“It's always a great time being back at 'The Swamp' and this time is extra special watching my son take on my alma mater. It's truly a full circle moment and I'm blessed to witness it,” Smith told UF Athletics Senior Writer Chris Harry. 

In the end, it might be “extra special,” but Emmitt, the Gator fans need to know if you’re in their corner or not. There’s a lot of chaos surrounding the program and it doesn’t seem like they will handle it well if a high-level Alumni doesn’t have their backs.