FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2001

Contact:
Jack Watford
Director of Communications
352/372-9551 ext. 170
jwatford@mail1.fhsaa.org

GAINESVILLE, FL (April 23, 2001)  Dallas Cowboys' running back Emmitt Smith, the leading rusher in Florida high school history, is one of seven individuals selected for induction into the 2001 class of the Florida High School Activities Association Hall of Fame. Smith is the first individual to be inducted into the FHSAA Hall of Fame solely on the basis of his contributions as a student-athlete.

Also selected for induction this year are the late Frederick William "Fritz" Buchholz, a founding father of the Florida High School Activities Association; Roger Sprague Gilmore, former sports editor of the DeLand Sun News; I. Brent Hall, who coached Forest High School of Ocala to back-to-back state football championships in 1974 and 1975; Kelly Wayne Kilpatrick, who chaired the FHSAA's first public liaison advisory committee that was influential in saving the Association from dissolution in 1997; Terence Miller "Terry" Oestreich, a long-time contest official in six sports; and William Henry "Bill" Wilson, who coached Vero Beach High School to back-to-back state boys track & field championships in 1979 and 1980.

These seven individuals comprise the 11th group to be inducted into the FHSAA Hall of Fame, which was founded in 1991 to recognize and preserve the heritage of high school activities in Florida. The FHSAA Hall of Fame is the official high school sports hall of fame in Florida. This year's class brings to 55 the number of individuals who have been
enshrined.

The 2001 FHSAA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Awards Banquet will be held at 7 p.m. EDT Thursday, June 14 at the Wyndham Westshore Hotel in Tampa. Tickets are $30 and must be ordered in advance through the FHSAA Office.

Smith, 31, who played at Escambia High School in Pensacola from 1983 through 1986, ended his high school career with an all-time state best 8,804 yards on 1,144 carries ? good for fifth on the national all-time rushing list. He continues to hold the national record for most 100-yard games with 45. His 28 consecutive 100-yard game performances are good for third on the all-time national list. In his 1,144 career rushing attempts, Smith fumbled just six times. He helped lead Escambia High School to back-to-back state championships in 1984 and 1985. Smith was a consensus All-American and was named the National High School Player of the Year by both Parade Magazine and USA Today his senior year. In 1986, he represented the nation's high school football players at The White House as part of the "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign.

At the University of Florida, Smith was an All-America and three-time All-SEC selection. He established 58 school records in three seasons, including the career rushing mark of 3,928 yards. Smith surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in his seventh game, faster than anyone else in college football history. He earned Freshman of the Year honors and finished in the top 10 in Heisman Trophy balloting.

In 10 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Smith has rushed for 13,963 yards, good for third on the all-time NFL list behind Walter Payton (16,726) and Barry Sanders (15,269). He has won four NFL rushing titles, three Super Bowl titles and a league (1993) and Super Bowl (XXVIII) MVP award. Smith is the NFL's career rushing touchdown leader with 136, and
is second only to Jerry Rice in total touchdowns scored.

Off the field, Smith is the founder of Emmitt Smith Charities, whose mission is to provide educational scholarships to under-served youth in Pensacola. Smith also works with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Salvation Army, The American Lung Association, the Battered and Abused Children's Foundation and B.A.D. (Boxers Against Drugs). His annual holiday food drive supports more than 3,000 families in the Dallas/Fort Worth and Pensacola areas.

Smith received his degree in public recreation from the University of Florida in 1996.

The Florida High School Activities Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletic competition in Florida. It has a membership of more than 640 middle, junior and senior high schools.