Rod Smart Torrold DeShaun " Rod " Smart ( born January 9 , 1977 ) is a former professional American football player . He played college football for the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers , and began his professional career in the short - lived XFL , where he played running back for the Las Vegas Outlaws and was known by the nickname " He Hate Me " . He then played briefly in the Canadian Football League ( CFL ) before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He then spent four seasons with the Carolina Panthers , 2002 – 2005 , playing in Super Bowl XXXVIII . He has also been on the roster for the San Diego Chargers ( in 2000 ) and the Oakland Raiders ( in 2006 ) and was selected to play in the never launched All American Football League . College career . Smart was born in Lakeland , Florida , one of several children . His parents were known to give Rod and his siblings unusual nicknames , including " Bone Bone " and " Fat Girl . " He attended Lakeland High School , where he played both running back and cornerback for the football team , and also ran for the track team . For college he attended Western Kentucky University , where he played for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team . He ended his career at Western Kentucky ranked tenth all - time in school history with 2 , 305 rushing yards on 356 carries with 21 touchdowns . Smart also totaled 115 receiving yards , 279 kickoff return yards , and 14 yards on punt returns . He started all 11 games as a senior in 2001 and was a first - team All - Gateway Conference selection . In his senior season , Smart led the Hilltoppers with 1 , 249 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns on 188 carries , for a 6 . 4 yard average , while his all purpose yards and rushing yards ranked fifth and sixth respectively in school history for a single season . Smart graduated with a degree in Recreational Science . Track and field . Smart was also a track star at the Western Kentucky University , where he specialized in the 60 meters and 100 meters . Professional career . San Diego Chargers training camp . Smart signed with the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2000 . He finished training camp with the team , but was released by the Chargers prior to the start of the 2000 NFL season . XFL ' s Las Vegas Outlaws . In the Spring of 2001 , Smart joined the Las Vegas Outlaws of the XFL and adopted the nickname of " HE HATE ME . " Smart finished the season ranked second in the league in rushing with 555 yards . Smart also finished third in average rushing yards ( 3 . 8 yards per carry ) , and scored three touchdowns over the course of the one and only XFL season . Smart led the Outlaws in rushing , and was second in receiving with 27 catches for 245 yards . Edmonton Eskimos and Philadelphia Eagles . After the end of the XFL season Smart signed with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League ( CFL ) ; he played one game for Edmonton before being released in August 2001 . The Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL eventually signed Smart to their practice roster on October 2 , 2001 . He was promoted to the active roster on November 19 , 2001 , appeared in 6 regular season games , mainly on special teams , and rushed for 6 yards on 2 carries . The Eagles waived Smart at the end of their 2001 season . Carolina Panthers . In September , 2002 , Smart was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers . He played in all 16 regular season games , and led the Panthers with 24 special teams tackles . Smart produced at least one special teams tackle in 14 games en route to recording the second - highest number of special team tackles in season team history . In 2003 , Smart played in all 16 Panthers ' games for the second consecutive season . For the first time in a Panthers ' uniform , Smart was utilized as a kick returner , in addition to his special teams coverage duties . He averaged 23 . 1 yards on 41 kickoff returns for 947 yards , including a 100 - yard touchdown against the New Orleans Saints on October 5 , 2003 ( tied for the longest kickoff return in team history ) . Smart finished the Panthers ' 2003 season ranked second with 14 special teams tackles and recorded his first career blocked punt . Smart also rushed for 49 yards on 20 carries and caught three passes for 11 yards on offense . Smart contributed to a Panthers ' special teams coverage unit that ranked fifth in the NFL in opponents ' kickoff return average . Smart ' s 2004 season was cut short due to injuries . He played in the first three games of the season for the Panthers , but was inactive for the next four before being placed on injured reserve with an injured left knee on November 3 , 2004 . Despite his limited action in 2004 , Smart averaged 21 . 1 yards on eight kickoff returns for 169 yards , with the longest return being 33 yards . He also rushed four yards on 3 carries , and caught one pass for five yards , on offense . In 2005 , Smart returned to the Panthers healthy , played in 12 games , and led the Panthers with 29 kickoff returns for 615 yards ( for a 21 . 2 yard average ) . Smart also recorded nine tackles and one fumble recovery for the Panthers ' kick coverage unit . After 4 seasons , Smart was released by the Panthers on March 1 , 2006 . Oakland Raiders training camp . On May 4 , 2006 , Smart signed with the Oakland Raiders as a free agent . Being injured for part of the 2006 pre - season , Smart failed to make the final , 53 - man Raiders roster on September 2 , 2006 . All American Football League . Smart was selected by Team Tennessee during the inaugural draft of the All American Football League on January 26 , 2008 . However , when the league was postponed for its Inaugural season , all players were released from their contract , leaving Smart a free agent . " He Hate Me " . " He Hate Me " is the phrase Smart chose to place on the back of his Las Vegas Outlaws football jersey during the one and only season of the XFL ( 2001 ) . Though most sports organizations allow only a surname or first initial and surname to be placed on the back of a jersey , XFL rules permitted players ' jerseys to be stitched with whatever words they wanted . The jersey was the XFL ' s best seller . Smart explained the origin of the grammatically non - standard phrase in a January 30 , 2004 article with the " Milwaukee Journal Sentinel " as , " Basically , my opponent is going to hate me . After I win , he ' s gonna hate me . It is what it is . It ' s a saying I was saying when I ' d feel something wasn ' t going my way . For example , ( when ) I was on the squad in Vegas and coach was putting other guys in , ( if ) I felt I ' m better than them , you know , hey , ' he hate me . ' See what I ' m saying ? Give me a chance . That ' s all I ask . It came from the heart . Within . The way I felt . I feel as if everyone hates me , from my mom to my dad and even my brothers and sisters everyone " Hates Me " . My buddy Greg Kates always used to use it , so I took it from him . " When Smart and the Outlaws played divisional rival Los Angeles Xtreme , two Xtreme players put " I Hate He " and " I Hate He Too " on the back of their jerseys to express their disdain for Smart . In a later game between those two teams , those two players changed their nicknames to " Still Hate He " and " Still Hate He Too " . The curious maxim also caught the eye of American audiences ( as well as Smart ' s future Carolina Panthers teammate Jake Delhomme , who named one of his thoroughbreds , " She Hate Me " ) . Personal life . Smart is a fan of the 1970s bands Earth , Wind and Fire , Heatwave , Parliament and many more . He was the " class clown " but managed to keep his grades well above average with all A ' s and a couple of B ' s at Lakeland High School in Lakeland , Florida . His nickname growing up and in high school was " The Rocket " after Raghib " Rocket " Ismail of Notre Dame , because of his speed , running a 4 . 25 40 yard dash . Smart ' s younger brother is Chris Rainey , former Lakeland High School standout running back and current Indianapolis Colts player . Smart ' s first cousin is former Philadelphia Eagles receiver Freddie Mitchell . Smart currently lives in Charlotte , North Carolina and works with high school students as a counselor .