Florida Football: Top ten career rushing yards leaders for the Gators

Florida Football Career Rushing Leader No. 2: Emmitt Smith

• 1987 to 1989
• 3,928 career rushing yards
• 36 career rushing touchdowns

Had Emmitt Smith stuck around for one more season in Gainesville, he would still be the career rushing leader not just at Florida, but the entire SEC.

As it was, Emith put together the three most dominant seasons a running back has ever had in a Florida Gators uniform. During his freshman year in 1987, Smith broke the single-season Florida football record with 1,341 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns while maintaining a 5.9 yards per carry average.

That record would fall in 1989 when Smith ran for 1,599 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.

It is borderline criminal that Smith was only 7th in the Heisman voting that season, but that is just the life of a running back.

Smith would go on to become an NFL legend with the Dallas Cowboys, and with 18,355 career rushing yards in the NFL holds the all-time record and probably will continue to hold the record for eternity, given how the modern NFL is played.