ATLANTA – Four former Georgia and Florida football standouts, including NFL all-time rushing leader Emmitt Smith, will be inducted into the Georgia-Florida Hall of Fame on Oct. 30.
The 2026 class includes former Georgia Bulldogs Brandon Boykin and Andre Hastings and former Florida Gators Maurkice Pouncey and Smith.
The induction ceremony and luncheon will begin at noon at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
This year’s ceremony comes as the Georgia-Florida rivalry temporarily moves away from Jacksonville. The game will be played in Atlanta in 2026 and Tampa in 2027 before returning to Jacksonville in 2028, when the city’s rebuilt stadium is expected to host the matchup.
“Jacksonville has served as the stage for the Georgia-Florida rivalry since 1933,” Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said. “We are proud to honor some of the players who have contributed to the legacy of this cherished tradition and look forward to welcoming the rivalry back to Jacksonville in 2028.”
Smith played at Florida from 1987 through 1989, rushing for 3,928 yards and 36 touchdowns during his college career. Against Georgia, he produced one of his early signature performances with 224 rushing yards in his first collegiate start in 1987.
The Dallas Cowboys selected Smith in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft. He went on to become the NFL’s career rushing leader, win three Super Bowls and earn induction into both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Pouncey played for Florida from 2007 through 2009, a stretch in which the Gators went 36-5, won two SEC championships and captured the 2008 BCS national championship. He won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center in 2009 and was selected 18th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2010 NFL Draft.
He spent 11 seasons with Pittsburgh, earning nine Pro Bowl selections.
On the Georgia side, Boykin played for the Bulldogs from 2008 through 2011. He recorded 17 tackles, four tackles for loss, three pass breakups and 298 return yards against Florida during his career.
Boykin helped Georgia defeat Florida 24-20 in his final appearance in the rivalry in 2011. He later won the Paul Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile player and finished his Georgia career as the program’s all-time leader in kickoff return yards with 2,663.
Hastings played at Georgia from 1990 through 1992 and led the Bulldogs in receiving during each of his final two seasons. He finished his college career with 124 receptions for 1,876 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Hastings scored a touchdown in each of his first two games against Florida before beginning an eight-season NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tickets for the Oct. 30 induction ceremony and luncheon are available through the Georgia-Florida Hall of Fame.