Former Dallas Cowboys football player Emmitt Smith will speak at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex on the Edinburg campus.
Smith helped his team win three Super Bowls from 1992 to 1995. The running back made first-team All-Pro in each year during that time. In 1993, he was named the NFL’s MVP and in 1994 he became the first Cowboys running back to win Super Bowl XXVIII Most Valuable Player honors when the team defeated the Buffalo Bills to win the Lombardi trophy, according to the Professional Football Hall of Fame website.
“We are very excited to have our first former athlete speaker,” said Cindy Mata-Vasquez, director of Student Activities. “We are very excited about the message he will bring regarding teamwork, just how he has developed … his persona on and off the field and how he is being able to be as successful as he is.”
The Distinguished Speaker Series is an annual event in which students and the Rio Grande Valley community can meet successful individuals, hear their stories, struggles and experiences.
“I am very excited to bring Emmitt Smith,” said Lauren Contreras, assistant director of Student Activities. “I am personally a huge Dallas Cowboys fan, so I am very excited to bring him. … I am very excited to bring this diversity to the program. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students to meet speakers. … Most of the time students don’t get out of the Valley. … Part of the reason we do this series is to bring these speakers to the students, so the students can learn from their experiences.”
The Distinguished Speaker Series brings in world-class speakers to the university, Mata-Vasquez said. Previous speakers include George Takei, of the TV show “Star Trek”; Diane Guerrero, of Netflix’s “Orange Is The New Black”; and Daymond John, of ABC’s “Shark Tank.”
“This is a series that’s been going on for a long time and the great thing about this series is that it’s financed by student fees, so it is a very student-oriented event,” said John Sargent, an international business and entrepreneurship professor who chairs the Distinguished Speaker Series Committee. “For example, students have priorities, as far as seating. … I hope the students are as excited as I am. Of course, [Emmitt Smith] is the NFL’s all-time leading rusher, won three championships with the Cowboys and seems to be a great person also.”
The lecture is open to the public and admission is free. Students and staff must bring their valid IDs. The doors will open at 7 p.m. for UTRGV staff and students, and at 7:15 p.m. for the community.
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