NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
Alex Smith, Utah Football’s first inductee into the Ring of Honor, is honored at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
When Mark Harlan’s number popped up on Alex Smith’s phone, the former Ute quarterback initially thought Utah’s athletic director was calling to ask for money.
By the end of the call, Smith was in tears.
Harlan phoned Smith to inform him Utah was creating a Ring of Honor at Rice-Eccles Stadium, and he would be the first inductee.
“It was just so emotional, so unexpected,” Smith said. “… He told me about the plans that they’d been talking about this for years of starting a Ring of Honor. “Then when he told me that it was going to be me, yeah, I lost it. I did.”
During halftime of Thursday night’s Utah-Southern Utah game, surrounded by his family, athletic director Mark Harlan and university president Taylor Randall, Smith’s name was added to the facade of the west side of Rice-Eccles Stadium.
As the banner covering Smith’s name was raised, much of the 51,444 on hand at Rice-Eccles Stadium that stayed for the halftime ceremony gave the former Ute quarterback a standing ovation.
“Just incredibly humbled by this,” Smith said.
Alex Smith, Utah Football’s first inductee into the Ring of Honor, speaks during a press conference at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Alex Smith, Utah Football’s first inductee into the Ring of Honor, is honored at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Alex Smith, Utah Football’s first inductee into the Ring of Honor, speaks during a press conference at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Alex Smith, Utah…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/incredibly-humbled-alex-smith-becomes-034849336.html
Author : Deseret News
Publish date : 2024-08-30 06:47:55
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
