Nathaniel Puente 
EDINBURG – Motivation. Confidence. And football. These are the things Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith preached during his visit to UTRGV for this semesters version of Distinguished Speaker Series.
A packed house gathered at the Performing Arts Complex to watch the former Dallas Cowboy give his speech of perseverance.
Sports fans of all kind were excited to see the NFL’s all-time leading rusher travel to Edinburg.
As soon as Smith entered the room, the raucous crowd erupted in jubilation. Smith then delivered a speech with an emphasis on motivation, accepting change, and believing in yourself.
Smith later told us why he enjoys giving these speeches.
“I think it empowers them to go out and try to do things that that they might not be thinking about.”
And of course, we talked about football.
“[My] happy cowboy years was that we built it all together and no one inherited anything because we started from the bottom.”
Much like a Smith carried his teams to Super Bowl victories, he carries This message to all.
“Believe in yourself, keep pushing hard, keep working hard, and seek wisdom whenever you can.”
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