Emmitt Smith Slams University of Florida for Firing DEI Positions

Three-time Super Bowl winner Emmitt Smith, a former standout running back for the Florida Gators and member of the Dallas Cowboys, has blasted his alma mater for eliminating all administrative appointments and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices. 

The decision was made by the university to comply with the law of Florida, which restricted public funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. DEI programs are defined as any program, campus activity, or policy that classifies individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation and promotes differential or preferential treatment of individuals on the basis of such classification.

According to a report by the Independent Florida Alligator, fifteen administrative appointments were terminated, and thirteen full-time posts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion were cancelled. Smith issued a long statement in which he criticized the institution.

He stated that in the absence of the DEI department, the responsibility of raising funds for the university and continuing to develop academic studies in sports programs would rest on the Office of the Provost, which already has a lot on its plate.  

Emmitt Smith Calls for Athlete Support

The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, who has made the elimination of DEI a central tenet of his attempts to reform education in the state, wrote on X that “Florida is where DEI goes to die.”

Before the Dallas Cowboys selected Smith in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft, Smith was already honored as an All-American while playing for the Florida Gators in 1989. 

He made a recent visit to the University of Florida campus in order to bestow the Gatorade High School National Player of the Year Trophy upon D.J. Lagway, who will be a freshman quarterback for the University of Florida.

Smith issued a statement in which he asked existing minority athletes at the University of Florida to voice their disagreement to the decision. He stated that the university had complied with political demands and is closing doors on additional minorities without any observation.