Alligator Legend Emmitt Smith Educates Swamp Dwellers About Opioids

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – Pro football icon and former Florida Gator player Emmitt Smith was back in the swamp on Saturday, watching his son play for the Aggies, serving as an honorary Mr. Two Bits and raising awareness for Ready to Rescue, a program dedicated to combating the stigma surrounding opioid emergencies and promoting survival preparedness.

“This is our second year running the Ready to Rescue campaign, trying to raise awareness about opioid overdoses. Our mission is to make sure everyone understands that an opioid overdose can happen anywhere and happen to anyone. We need to be prepared, so we need to be ready to respond,” Smith said.

People lined up at the tailgate to support the cause. During the event, Smith will be on hand to educate students, parents and the local community about the risks of opioids and how to respond effectively in the event of an opioid emergency.

Smith explained the fundamentals of Ready to Rescue and demonstrated how simple it is to save a life.

He described the process: “It gives us an opportunity to let people know that if they need Norcan nasal spray, they can get it over the counter. You can also buy it on Amazon. And we have what we call the ‘lay, spray, and stay’ method. We teach people how to not only handle an opioid emergency, but also how to get someone down if you see someone who is unresponsive. Pupils may be very dilated. Lips may be purple. Gently lay them down on the floor. Insert the nasal spray directly into the nostril and spray it. Then call 911 and wait.”

Smith’s commitment to this cause is deeply personal. He has lost teammates to accidental overdoses and witnessed the toll opioid use has taken on those close to him.

“Losing a teammate to an overdose, having a sister-in-law who is dealing with stage 4 cancer and the pain that she was going through and accidentally overdosed on painkillers, a really good friend of mine who lost his son, earlier this year or last year, it’s pretty personal in a way, but I think if it’s personal to me, it’s touched someone else’s life in the same way, there’s so much out there, our mission is to try to make sure that every single person understands that an opioid overdose can happen anywhere and to anyone, so we have to be prepared.”

Smith brought this important message to the Swamp, with the goal of making a difference on and off the field.

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