Growing up in Jacksonville there was not an NFL franchise at the time. The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t come around until years later, so I grew up to be a Dallas Cowboys fan.

I have also been a huge Gator football fan since the late 70s.

So, the opportunity to talk with Emmitt Smith this past Friday was surreal after watching him play for both the Gators and the Cowboys.

We reminisced about the heartbreaking 10-7 loss at Auburn in 1989. I was there, at Jordan-Hare Stadium, when Auburn quarterback Reggie Slack threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Shane Wasden on 4th and 11 with 26 seconds left.

I referenced the 96-yard touchdown run he made against Mississippi State in 1988, which is one of the greatest runs in University of Florida history.

He referenced the Alabama game in 1987 when he set a school record with 224 yards rushing at Legion Field in Birmingham. I was there to see that one too and saw him break his own record two years later in Gainesville with 316 yards on the ground against New Mexico.

As a first-round pick in the 1990 National Football League Draft, Smith was the cornerstone of the Dallas Cowboys offense for 13 seasons. The eight-time Pro Bowler was the first player in NFL history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in 11 consecutive seasons and on Oct. 27, 2002, he surpassed Walter Payton as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher.

In his 15 seasons as a running back in the NFL, Smith amassed many records that still stand today, including most career rushing yards and most career rushing touchdowns. Smith’s impressive resume includes three Super Bowl championship rings, his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010, and, most recently in 2019, his selection to the NFL 100 All-Time Team (a prestigious list honoring the best players of the NFL’s first 100 years).

This past weekend, Smith was in Gainesville to serve as honorary Mr. Two Bits and watch his son E.J. Smith play for Texas A&M (6 carries for 24 yards).

“I’m excited to be back and it’s even more exciting to see my son come through the tunnel and run onto the Gator field and play against my former alma mater,” Smith said prior to the game. “It is strange, it’s different, but I’m excited for him because he gets a chance to have that SEC experience and get a chance to go into that stadium and see how loud it’s going to be and play in front of a large crowd, and he still has a chance to get on the football field and showcase his talents.”

Smith was also excited about coming back and seeing “some familiar faces,” including two of his best friends, a college roommate, and family who were making the trip.

But the focal point of his return to The Swamp was to spread awareness about the opioid overdose crisis in the United States.

He was onsite to educate students, parents and the local community on opioid risks and how to save a life in an opioid emergency before he watched his son take the field.

The numbers are staggering.

According to the Florida Department of Health, the rate of opioid overdose deaths in Alachua County increased by 67% from 2018-2022, which is why Smith is passionate about helping Gainesville get ready to rescue.

Smith has a personal connection to the opioid epidemic, including losing teammates to accidental overdose and loved ones being impacted by opioid use, which drives his passion for this cause.

“It made my decision a lot easier because I had that personal experience, whether I lost a teammate in the late 90s to an overdose or my sister-in-law who was dealing with Stage-4 cancer and had a couple of episodes because of pain pills…one of my good friends lost his son in recent years to a drug overdose, so having NARCAN® Nasal Spray could have helped prevent some of those things.”

Opioid misuse and dependency is the highest among young adults ages 18 to 25, yet less than 15% of American college students know how to administer life-saving opioid reversal naloxone medications.

“We’re trying to encourage people to be ready and stay ready by carrying a NARCAN® Nasal Spray on you, whether it’s in your purse or at home in your first aid kit, just so you can be of service just in case someone finds them in an opioid situation,” said Smith, who is the father of five children in that age group.

NARCAN has been available since 1971, but was FDA approved for over-the-counter use in 2023.

“Now that it’s been approved, it’s over the counter, you can get it from Amazon, so access to it is readily available,” Smith said. “If you think about some of the folks that we have lost, if they would have had someone there by their side to administer this NARCAN® Nasal Spray, there’s a great possibility that that person could still be here so the Ready to Rescue campaign is all about staying ready, so you don’t have to get ready.”

That’s one of the messages of the Ready to Rescue initiative, which is focused on breaking down the stigma around opioid emergencies and encouraging everyone to be prepared to save a life.

There are three things they are trying to help people be aware of during a suspected opioid emergency, such as someone who is “unresponsive, their lips may be a little purple, or the pupils could be small and dilated.”

Using the “Lay, Spray, Stay” method, check for slowed breathing or unresponsiveness and lay the person on their back and tilt the head up (LAY), insert the NARCAN® Nasal Spray into either nostril and press plunger firmly (SPRAY), and call 911 immediately and continue to administer doses as needed (STAY).

“We’re in year two, and since year two we’ve seen a decline also in the numbers because of some of the work that we have done,” Smith said. “The first responders are carrying it so that’s a great start, but we need citizens to start taking on that role and responsibility to take care of the next person. That’s what we’re trying to get accomplished with the Ready to Rescue campaign.”

Opioid emergencies can happen anywhere and at any time. For more information on the Ready to Rescue initiative visit www.ReadytoRescue.com.