Before Emmitt Smith won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys, was named a Super Bowl MVP and crafted a Pro Football Hall of Fame-worth career after 15 seasons in the NFL, he tore through the SEC with the Florida Gators.

In his three-season career in Gainesville, Smith tallied 3,928 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns. Before Smith departed Florida, he held 58 school records.

But what if Smith never made his way to Florida?

On a Monday morning segment with SEC Network, the Pensacola, Fla. native running back said if he didn’t play for the Gators, there was one other orange and blue team in the SEC that he considered playing for.

“It wouldn’t have been at Florida State, I can promise you that,” Smith said when asked where he would’ve played if not at Florida. “It would’ve been at the (Auburn University).”

Having just produced a Heisman-winning running back in Jackson in 1985, former Auburn head coach Pat Dye leaned on the prospect of Smith being the next in line to win one at Auburn.

“Pat Dye had committed to me,” Smith said. “Here’s the campaign. Here’s what we’re going to do to get you the Heisman, because we want you to have the Heisman.”

After watching how Auburn used Jackson, Dye’s rush-heavy attack was also attractive to Smith.

Well, that and the fact that Auburn’s home field featured real grass and not artificial turf like The Swamp did at the time.

“Auburn took pride in running the football,” Smith said. “And they were on grass, so that was one motivating factor for me as well. Auburn would’ve been the school.”