Two Professional Athletes Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice both played College and NFL football, but for different Teams and they played different positions. They were the greatest football players in there Time when they were playing. Emmitt Smith also played football in high school and shined on the field there as well. He played football for Escambia High School in Pensacola, Florida. Escambia won the state Football championship, and Emmitt rushed for 106 touchdowns and 8,804 yards, which was the Second most yardage in the history of American high school football at the time.
Emmitt rushed For over 100 yards in 45 of the 49 games he started for Escambia (including the last 28 in a row) Where he finished with a 7. 8 yards per carry average. Twice, he broke the 2,000 yard rushing mark in a Season. Emmitt was named the USA Today and Parade magazine high school player of the year For 1986. In 2007 twenty years after Emmitt had graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association named Emmitt to its “All-Century Team,” recognizing him as one of the 33 greatest Florida high school football players of the last 100 years.
As part of its “100 Years of Florida High School Football” awards ceremony, Florida High School Athletic Association Named Emmitt as its “Player of the Century. ” Emmitt Smith played College football for the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida Where he played for the Florida Gators from 1987 to 1989. He was picked by the Dallas Cowboys In the NFL Draft in 1990 round 1 pick 17. He retired from playing football in 2004. His position on The field when he played was running back. He played with Dallas Cowboys from (1990 to 2002), Then he went to play for the Arizona Cardinals from (2003 to 2004).
He played NFL football for Fifteen seasons. Was considered the greatest running back in the NFL. With other team members Led his team to three Super Bowl Championships during the 1990s. While he played college football he shined on the field there as well. In his first full game, Emmitt promptly broke Florida’s 40-year- old all time single game rushing record, carrying 39 times For 224 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Gators upset the Crimson Tide. Emmitt 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 the barrier to begin his college career.
He finished the 1987 season with 1,341 yards and Was named Southeastern Conference and National Freshman of the Year. He also finished 9th in that Year’s Heisman voting. In 1989 he finished his junior season with Florida records for rushing yards in A season with (1,599), rushing yards in a single game (316 versus New Mexico in 1989) longest rushing Play (96 yards against Mississippi State in 1988), career rushing yards (3,928), and career rushing Touchdowns of (36) among many others.
In all Emmitt owned 58 school records at the conclusion of His Florida career. At the conclusion of his junior season in 1989 Emmitt was named a first-team SEC Selection for the third year and SEC Player of the Year, was a unanimous first-team All-American, and Finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy balloting. His senior year Emmitt decided to forego his senior Year at Florida and entered the NFL draft.
Emmitt was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a “Gator Great” in 1999, the Gator Football Ring of Honor in 2006. Was inducted in the Pro-Football Hall of Fame in (2010). He holds many NFL records for rushing. NFL record for career rushing yards (18,355), NFL record for career rushing touchdowns (164), NFL Record for career 100- yard rushing games (78). He attempted (4,409), had receiving yards of (3,224), Touchdown receptions of (11), he had (515) receptions in his career.
He played in 8 pro bowls from (1990 to 1999), 6 all pro games (1991 to 1995), 4 times NFL rushing leader (1991 to 1995), 3 time Super Bowl Champion (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX ), NFL 1990s all-decade team, ap NFL MVP (1993), NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1990), Super Bowl MVP (XXVIII), NEA NFL MVP (1991, 1992), PFWA NFL MVP (1993), Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, Bert Bell Award (1993), Gator Football Ring of Honor University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame, Unanimous first-team All-American (1989). Jerry also played football for the high school football team of Starkville, Mississippi.
He Outshined on the high school football field as well. Jerry Rice played college football for Mississippi Valley State University from 1980 to 1984. While on the football field playing college football his statistics from his college years are sparse. The College Football Hall of Fame website claims that Jerry, as a sophomore in 1982, caught (66) Passes for (1,133) yards and (7) touchdowns. That was all achieved in his first season. He also had a Record-setting 1983 campaign including NCAA marks for receptions (102) and receiving yards(1,450) He was named first-team Division I-AA All-America.
He also set a single-game NCAA record for Catching 24 passes against Southern University. In 1985 the San Francisco 49er’s drafted Jerry in the 1985 NFL Draft round 1 pick 16. He retired in 2005. His position when he played on the field was wide receiver. He played with the San Francisco 49er’s from (1985 to 2000), he then went and played for the Oakland Raiders from (2001 to 2004), Then he went to play for the Seattle Seahawks for 1 season in (2004), after that season he went To the Denver Broncos and was on the team rooster for the season of (2005). *offseason and he was a practice squad member only. He played NFL football for a career spanning two decades. Was considered the greatest wide Receiver in the NFL. With other team members led his team to 2 super bowls for the San Francisco 49er’s, and then 1 super bowl for the Oakland Raiders. Was inducted in the Pro-Football Hall of Fame in (2010). Received many awards while playing For the NFL. Rated #1 NFL player of all-time by NFL. com, 2 times AP NFL Offensive player of the year (1987, 1993), 3 time NFC Offensive player of the Year (1986, 1987).
Played in 13 Pro bowls from (1986 to 2002). 12 times all-pro selection (1986 to 2002), 3 times Super Bowl Champion (XXIII, XXIV, XXIX). Pro Bowl MVP (1996), Super Bowl MVP (XXIII), PFWA MVP (1988), UPI NFC Player of the Year (1988), UPI NFI-NFC Rookie of the Year (1985), Bert Bell Award (1987), NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, NFL 1990s All Decade Team, He also holds many NFL records. He had a total Receptions of (1,549), Receiving yards of (22,895) he has total touchdowns of (208), and has total points Scored of (1,256).
As you can see these two football players where the greatest players of all time when they got On the football field to play. They out-shined many other football players on the same team as they Played for. They were exceptional players when they were at there prime. They were both inducted In the Pro-Football Hall of Fame in (2010). They were both inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in (2006). The difference between the two is that one was a running back, and the other was a Wide receiver.
