DJ Lagway, Emmitt Smith talk Gatorade National Player of the Year award
The new face of Florida football has arrived at the Swamp and the Gator Nation cannot wait for the next era of their favorite gridiron warriors to begin.
Pro Football Hall of Famer, former Florida Gator and 1986-87 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year Emmitt Smith surprised UF commit DJ Lagway of Willis, Texas, with the 2023-24 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award.
Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their success on and off the field. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes, the award touts an all-star group of alumni including Peyton Manning, Nick Singleton and Jackson Arnold.
Ahead of the big announcement, Gators Wire spoke with the two regarding the prestigious award and what it means to be a member of the Orange and Blue. Take a look below at what they had to offer.
LAGWAY: What is it like to receive the most prestigious award in high school football from Emmitt Smith?
You know, it’s truly a blessing, you know, I feel like it’s been a surreal couple, you know, hours, you know, so it’s been in this whole thing.
But it’s mostly it’s a team award.
You know, I know I’m getting it by myself, but without my linemen blocking and receivers making a heck of plays for me and defense getting some amazing stops, man, we wouldn’t be here today talking. So I feel like this is mostly a team award and I’m just thankful and honored to be here.
SMITH: When you won this award way back when, what was it like for you?
My trophy did not look like his trophy today. That’s for sure.
But the award itself was wasn’t done with this type of flair, even though I was on the cover of USA TODAY as one of the players of the year. Things were different — the press releases and the press conferences that we’re having right now didn’t quite exist at that time.
Being named the Gatorade National Football Player puts a spotlight on you and puts a little bit more pressure on you as well.
When I came into college here at the University of Florida, I was with the second-team offense and I was running against the number one defense. They were trying to take my head off and they were calling me all kinds of things — let’s see how good he is and everything else — all that was going on on the football field.
I had to prove myself and had to show that I was worthy of that — of earning their respect. I think that happened throughout the course of the fall season and the beginning of football season itself, as I earned my way onto the football field.
LAGWAY: The Gatorade brand is deeply rooted in UF. Do you feel like this is a good omen to start your collegiate career?
Oh, yes, sir. Without a doubt, you know, it’s just kind of ironic. It is, you know, but it’s truly a blessing.
SMITH: How do you feel about DJ taking over as the face of the Florida football program?
He’s a good-looking kid. So that’s a good face to have.
The next thing becomes his performance. He’s done it in high school and there’s no reason for me to doubt they cannot do it at this level. Obviously, it takes some work. He understands that he understands what’s going to be required and that’s the first level of growth, which is to understand coming in humble.
Coming in with the understanding that he has to put in some work, he has to earn the right and respect of his teammates. And the way you do that is by showing them that you’re willing to work hard, showing them that you can do everything that they’re doing in terms of the work on the football field and work in the classroom and et cetera, et cetera.
And becoming a good teammate and a guy that they can get behind. They can lead. They already believe in his ability because of what he’s done, what he’s done in high school. Now they want to say they want to see, can he help us? And can he lead us? What kind of kid is he? What kind of person is he?
Is he a good teammate? And all those kinds of things. And that I believe he would have to earn with his teammates, but he’s not afraid of it. He has the ability to do it and there’s no doubt in my mind that he will be a good one here.
Now Billy Napier needs to make sure that he has all of the things that he needs to have in place in order to continue that growth that he was talking about that he did in high school.
Expand upon that, grow, and become better at the quarterback position in terms of reading coverages and making good quality decisions and protecting the football at the same time.
LAGWAY: What advice did Emmitt give you on how to handle the high expectations?
You know, he just gave me a lot of knowledge of what, you know, just knowing how to be a college athlete, you know, and just learning the ins and outs of it and just, just continue to keep your head down and work.
SMITH: How do you feel about the current state of football in comparison to the past?
Well, the current state of football is you have kids that are coming in with the expectation to play right away. Kids are not as patient as we used to be and we had to earn the right — you know, I didn’t start right away.
I had to wait for game three before I got my opportunity. And when they did, they put me up against the University of Alabama. So it wasn’t an easy day, but it turned out to be a good day. (He ran 224 yards and 2 touchdowns)
I think that the difference would be that the game itself is shifted. There are so many different dynamics that DJ is dealing with that I never had to deal with.
Social media is one of those things. NIL is another one of those things. And, and not only that, but just the the development of players, in my opinion, is different because players are moving in and out from one university to the next. The commitment to being there is not like it used to be either.
Because once you sign with the university you really couldn’t transfer; if you did you transfer one time. Now you see kids going from one school to the next school to the next school until they find a spot or home.
So I think the commitment itself is not quite there. In order to develop the football player the way you want to has to have the ability or this sense that the program itself is developing him completely — not just partially but completely, meaning in the classroom and also on the football field and everything marries up the same. And so, for me, I think that is the most important thing that any university can give a kid that they have.
We’re gonna develop you completely and I’m gonna make sure that not only you get a quality education, but I also want to make sure that you’re one of the best football players on the football field by giving you the tools and and giving you the ability to grow and give you the opportunity to compete.
LAGWAY: You've got a lot of pressure on you coming in, right? You are the man.
Yeah, you know, I really don’t feel any pressure. I just come out here and play ball. I feel like God doesn’t make any mistakes. He put me in this situation for a reason and I feel like I’m gonna excel and do what I have to do to make it to wherever I’m trying to make it to.
So, yeah, it’s a blessing for sure.
BEST GATORADE: OG glass bottle, plastic bottle, sideline cooler
DUBBIN: “Back in the day, it hit hard on a hot summer day, man — that Gatorade powder mix iced down in that big multi-gallon cooler. That’s the way.”
SMITH: “Well, I think today out of the bottle, out of the plastic bottle, it’s easy because you got enough in one doggone setting and so, and versus going back getting more and more and more and more, um, but you know, anyway someone wants it, they have the ability to do it these days.
“I mean, you have options and, and having those options and the diversity of options, uh, give every, it’s appealing to anyone.”
LAGWAY: “Yeah. I’m pretty young, so all I know is the bottle.
As long as it’s cold, I can stick my hand in there and pull it out. I’m good with that.”
DJ Lagway's Recruiting Stats
Lagway is ranked No. 10 overall and No. 3 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 10 and 2, respectively.
More on the award
In its 39th year of honoring the nation’s most elite high school athletes for excellence on and off the field of play, Gatorade today announced DJ Lagway of Willis High School in Willis, Texas, is the 2023-24 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year.
Lagway joins an impressive group of former Gatorade National Football Players of the Year who have combined for more than six NFL MVP awards, 31 Pro Bowl appearances, six NFL first-round draft picks and two Hall of Famers.
Lagway was selected from more than one million other student-athletes who play high school football nationwide after being named a top-three finalist for the top honor in high school sports.
Gatorade Players of the Year are not only the best of the best in their respective sports, but they’re also leaders in the classroom and their communities. Lagway has volunteered locally at eldercare facilities, playing games and creating arts and crafts with the residents. He also has donated his time to a community foodbank and as a public speaker at schools and churches in the area, speaking with younger students about what it takes to succeed in school as well as athletics.
Lagway has maintained a 3.48 GPA in the classroom and is enrolled at the University of Florida, where he will play football next fall.
“Selecting Lagway as the top high school football player in the nation is a testament to his hard work on the field, in the classroom and his community,” said Gatorade president and general manager Michael Del Pozzo. “His athleticism combined with his contributions in his community and classroom embody what it takes to be a Gatorade Player of the Year.”
As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $4.9 million in grants to winners across more than 1,900 organizations.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners, or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.
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