JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Pro football legend and Gator alum Emmitt Smith will be in Gainesville this weekend to partner with the Ready to Rescue initiative. The program aims to reduce the stigma surrounding opioid emergencies and encourages everyone to be prepared to save a life.
“Until you need it. Nothing ever applies to anyone until they find themselves in a situation when they wish they would have just taken the time to learn a 30-second pitch on how they can save a person’s life,” he said.
On Sept.14, Smith will be hosting a Ready to Rescue tailgate before his son, a running back for the Aggies, takes on the Gators, a release said. Smith will be onsite to educate students, parents and the local community on opioid risks and how to save a life in an opioid emergency.
In a sit-down interview with News4JAX, Smith talked about the importance of Narcan.
“It is a very important campaign considering the world right now,” Smith said. “Fentanyl is dominating the headlines but also opioid overdoses are penetrating the headlines as well. With the Ready to Rescue Campaign, Emergent and I teamed up to continue to spread awareness around the issues we are dealing with with opioid addictions. We will be tailgating tomorrow at the Gator game to continue to spread the good news about Narcan nasal spray and how to use it and how it can save a person’s life.”
Smith also went over exactly what Ready to Rescue represents and how easy it is to save a life.
“If you are prepared, you don’t have to get prepared,” Smith said.
“The method is lay, spray and stay. Lay a person down gently, and pull out your Narcan nasal spray. You insert the nose into the nostril, squeeze the back side, and in the spray goes. If you need to get two, get two of these and into the as well. Make the call to 911 and then wait,” he said.
His personal connection to the opioid epidemic includes losing teammates to accidental overdoses and seeing loved ones affected by opioid use, which fuels his passion for this cause.
“First thing I thought about was one of my former teammates who passed, matter of fact, I probably had two of them. Then I thought about my sister-in-law who was dealing with Stage 4 colon cancer. She accidently overdosed on some of her pain medication but we were able to get her help in time. But to see her go through that was a clear reminder of what someone could actually go through,” he said.
The Gators are set to kick off Saturday afternoon as they begin SEC play against Texas A&M, presented by NARCAN, inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.
Smith encourages people to come by.
“Number one shake my hand, number two take a photo and we may be able to have a little bit of a conversation. My mission is to be able to get as many people through as possible and spread the good news about Narcan nasal spray,” he said.
For more information regarding the Ready to Rescue initiative, click here.