The Stanley Cup will continue to reside in the Sunshine State after the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive season, and Gators legend Emmitt Smith is absolutely loving it.
One of the greatest running backs in Florida and the NFL’s history, Smith shared a heartfelt message for the Panthers following their 5-1 victory in front of the sold-out crowd at Amerant Bank Arena, which capped off another historic campaign that resulted in a championship.
Emmitt Smith Congratulates Florida Panthers On Second-Consecutive Stanley Cup Victory
The Panthers have now won 11 of their last 12 playoff series and become the first team since the Tampa Bay Lightning (2020–21) to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. Their ascension from underdog status just a few years ago to modern NHL powerhouse is among the league’s most compelling storylines, and Smith, a Florida native, is loving it.
“Congrats to the @FlaPanthers! 🏆 Go gators 🐊,” he wrote on the Panthers’ 5-1 victory.
Congrats to the @FlaPanthers ! 🏆
Go gators 🐊
— Emmitt Smith (@EmmittSmith22) June 18, 2025
Smith had a legendary career with the Gators and became the team’s starting running back in its SEC opener against Alabama in the 1987 season. As a rookie, he delivered staggering numbers, rushing for 1,341 yards and 13 touchdowns while also adding 184 receiving yards.
Smith missed a series of games in his sophomore season due to an injury and finished with 988 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. He returned with a bang in his junior season and put up record numbers. Smith carried the ball 284 times for 1,599 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding 207 yards and one touchdown through the air as well.
Smith later declared for the draft and was selected 17th overall by the Dallas Cowboys. He, however, held the longest holdout by a rookie in history for 48 days before eventually signing at the start of the regular season.
He still had an impressive rookie season and was named Rookie of the Year after tallying 937 yards and 11 touchdowns. By the end of his 15-year career, Smith averaged 1,223.7 yards per season and is still the NFL’s all-time leading rusher with 18,355 yards.
Haters say Emmitt Smith wasn’t that good, it was his Offensive line that carried him right? pic.twitter.com/QiCvnTM7ao
— The Cowboy Regg ✭ (@Irish_Cowboy88) April 28, 2025
Smith took the crown from Walter Payton, who held the record from 1984 until Smith broke it in 2002. In 15 seasons, he played 226 games, ran for 164 touchdowns, and helped lead the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl titles while leading the league in rushing during those same campaigns.
Smith spent the final two years of his career with the Arizona Cardinals and has been inducted into the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame. Florida also inducted him into the Gator Football Ring of Honor.