The Wild Truth Behind Football's Most Notorious Jersey: the Legend of 'He Hate Me'
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
Q1: Did the NFL ever let Rod Smart wear 'He Hate Me' on his jersey?
A1: No. The NFL strictly enforces Rule 5, Section 4 of its operations manual, which mandates that players must display their legal surname as registered with the league office. Smart wore "Smart" on his No. 32 Carolina Panthers uniform throughout his entire five-year NFL career, though teammates and television broadcasters frequently referenced the nickname on air.
Q2: Why did Rod Smart pick the number 30 in the XFL?
A2: Smart wore No. 30 for the Las Vegas Outlaws because it was the number assigned to him during training camp when he arrived as an unheralded free agent out of Western Kentucky. After arriving in Carolina, he switched to No. 32 because running back Mike Sellers initially held No. 30.
Q3: Did Rod Smart earn royalties from 'He Hate Me' merchandise sales?
A3: Under the original 2001 XFL contract structure, players received base salaries of approximately $45,000 for the ten-week season, plus win bonuses. While Smart received standard league licensing distributions, the WWF and NBC retained the lion's share of jersey sales profits, despite Smart inventing the slogan.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
