Errict Rhett

Errict Undra Rhett (born December 11, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons during the 1990s and early 2000s. Rhett played college football for the University of Florida, and was recognized as a first-team All-American. A second-round pick in the 1994 NFL Draft, he played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns of the NFL.

Errict Rhett
No. 32, 23, 33
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1970-12-11) December 11, 1970
Carver Ranches, Florida, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school:Hollywood (FL) McArthur
College:Florida
NFL Draft:1994 / Round: 2 / Pick: 34
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:86
Rushing attempts:1,174
Rushing yards:4,143
Receptions:89
Receiving yards:552
Touchdowns:32
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early life

Rhett was born in Pembroke Pines, Florida in 1970.[1] He attended McArthur High School in Hollywood, Florida,[2] where he was a star high school football player for the McArthur Mustangs. He also was a two-time state wrestling champion in the 185-pound and 220-pound weight class for the McArthur Mustangs wrestling team. At the 1988 Wrestling State Championship, Rhett did not meet the qualifications to wrestle at the 220lbs weight class because he only weighed 173lbs. In order to wrestle 220lbs, all wrestlers must weigh a minimum of 185lbs. Rhett sprinted across the street to a 7-Eleven, only to return 1:30 minutes later and stepped on the scale weighing 186lbs. Rhett went on to capture his 1st State Championship. When the media asked Rhett how did he gain that much weight in that short period of time, Rhett simply said " What the mind can conceive the body will achieve".

College career

Rhett accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, and played tailback for coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team from 1990 to 1993.[3] Rhett broke Gator alumnus Emmitt Smith's former Gators career rushing record, finishing with 4,163 yards and thirty-four touchdowns, 1,230 yards receiving and two touchdown receptions, and leading the Gators in rushing for all four seasons of his college career.[3] Memorably, he rushed for 193 yards against the Kentucky Wildcats in 1992, and for 196 yards against the Auburn Tigers in 1993.[3] Aided by his consistent running game, the Gators won the Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship in 1991 and again in 1993. As a senior team captain, Rhett was named most valuable player (MVP) of the 1994 Sugar Bowl, rushing for 105 yards and three touchdowns in the Gators' 41–7 victory over the West Virginia Mountaineers. He was a first-team All-SEC selection in 1991 and 1993, a first-team All-American in 1993, and was chosen by his teammates as the Gators' most valuable player in 1993.[3]

During his time at Florida, Rhett was initiated as a brother of Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in 1995, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2005.[4][5] The sports editors of The Gainesville Sun ranked him as No. 34 among the 100 all-time greatest Gators of the first 100 seasons of Florida football in 2006.[6]

Professional career

Rhett was chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round (thirty-fourth pick overall) in the 1994 NFL Draft.[7] He played seven professional seasons from 1994 to 2000.[2] During his rookie season with Tampa Bay, he rushed for 1,011 yards and seven touchdowns.[8] Rhett had a career year the following season when he rushed for 1,207 yards and eleven touchdowns.[8] He was involved in a contract hold-out before the 1996 season, but still led the Buccaneers in rushing despite appearing in just nine games. Rhett played four more years in the NFL, but he never matched the numbers that he produced during his first two seasons.[1] His best post-Tampa Bay season came in 1999 when he rushed for 852 yards for the Baltimore Ravens.[8] Rhett's career ended when the Cleveland Browns waived him immediately before the start of the 2001 season.

During his seven NFL seasons, Rhett rushed for 4,143 yards and twenty-nine touchdowns; he also had eighty-nine receptions for 552 yards and three touchdowns.[1]

Life after football

Rhett is the father of three children: son Errict, Jr., and daughters Morgan and Amaurri.[9] All three are actively involved in sports; he coaches his son's Optimist league junior football team and regularly attends his daughters' track meets.[9]

When his playing career ended after the 2000 NFL season, Rhett returned to South Florida, where he grew up.[9] Today, he is the chief executive officer of Errict Rhett Custom Homes and the Errict Rhett Foundation.[9] Rhett's foundation emphasizes charitable activities that benefit underprivileged children, including an after-school support program, college scholarships, and a mentoring program.[10]

See also

References
  1. Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Errict Rhett. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  2. databaseFootball.com, Players, Errict Rhett Archived August 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
  3. 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 77, 78, 88, 93, 97, 103, 125, 127, 138–140, 143, 147–148, 152, 159, 162, 173, 185 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  4. F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  5. "Nine Hall of Fame Inductees Announced Archived October 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine," GatorZone.com (September 30, 2004). Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  6. Robbie Andreu & Pat Dooley, "No. 34 Errict Rhett," The Gainesville Sun (July 31, 2006). Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  7. "1994 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  8. National Football League, Historical Players, Errict Rhett. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
  9. Scott Carter, "GatorZone.com Catches Up with Errict Rhett at Nike Uniform Launch Event," GatorZone.com (September 2, 2010). Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  10. Errict Rhett Foundation, Programs. Retrieved May 25, 2011.

Bibliography
  • Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
  • Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
  • Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
  • McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
  • Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). ISBN 1-57167-196-X.
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