Share DeVonta Smith is a National Championship Hero and the Greatest College Receiver Ever. DeVonta Smith's career began as a collegiate football legend. He concludes his career as the best college football wide receiver of all time. During his four years at University of Miami, Smith set school records for receptions (174) and receiving yards (2315). His five total touchdowns ranked second all-time among receivers before he left school ranking first with 206 catches in just four seasons.
In addition to his work with The Bowery Boys, Eric Ortiz also writes for Dime Magazine, Sporting News and Bleacher Report. He has written articles on NFL history for Sports Illustrated and ESPN Classic. He has also contributed chapters to books including "The Best of the Bronx: 50 Years of Sports Memories from Yankee Stadium" by Jim Rice and "Remembering Ray Floyd: Life After Football" by Harvey Araton.
Ortiz was raised in Elmont, New York and graduated from Adelphi University with a bachelor's degree in sports journalism. He is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and made the Dean's List while attending Adelphi.
When he isn't writing about the Yankees or NFL history, Ortiz enjoys spending time with his family and following pro soccer games.
He currently resides in Brooklyn with his wife and two children.
DeVonta Smith, the wide receiver whose speed and acrobatics energized Alabama's offense and propelled the Crimson Tide to next week's national championship game against Ohio State, was named Heisman Trophy winner on Tuesday night.
A first-time candidate, Smith led the nation with 14 touchdown catches and tied for second with 890 yards receiving as Alabama set a school record by scoring at least once in every game this season. The previous mark of nine consecutive winning campaigns had stood since 1948 when Michigan began the season with 11 wins. This year's Wolverines lost their last game of the season.
In his career, which includes two seasons at Texas, one at Arizona and one so far at Alabama, Smith has developed into one of the most dynamic players in college football. He's the first player in FBS history to have 100 receptions of 20 or more yards - he did it twice - and 1,500 yards receiving in a season. The Heisman Trophy voting panel is made up of members of the National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame. The BCS Championship Game will be played on January 10th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. The winner will go home with $7 million dollars.
Smith's success can be attributed to his ability to create space off the line of scrimmage and run after the catch.
DeVonta Smith (born November 14, 1998) is an American football wide receiver for the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles (NFL). As a senior at Alabama in 2020, he rushed for over 1,800 yards and scored 23 touchdowns, earning him the Heisman Trophy as well as various other accolades and medals. He was drafted first overall by the Eagles in the 2019 NFL Draft.
He played high school football for Westlake High School in Houston, Texas. In addition to playing wide receiver, he also returned kicks as a freshman. As a sophomore, he started all 13 games and had 51 receptions for 788 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a junior, he had 105 catches for 1,527 yards and 16 touchdowns. He opted to forgo his final year of college eligibility and entered the 2020 NFL Draft.
Smith attended Alabama from 2015 to 2018 where he starred as a wide receiver for the Crimson Tide. As a freshman in 2015, he had 37 receptions for 543 yards and five touchdowns. As a sophomore in 2016, he had 77 receptions for 1,104 yards and 12 touchdowns. In 2017, he had 102 receptions for 1,451 yards and 15 touchdowns. And finally, in 2018, he had 106 receptions for 1,527 yards and 16 touchdowns. Overall, he tallied 459 receptions for 6,264 yards (12.98 avg.) and 68 touchdowns during his time at Alabama.
DeVonta Smith has been compared to Terrell Owens, the Hall of Fame wide receiver. Former Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison has been likened to Calvin Ridley by NFL.com's Lance Zierlein as one of Smith's simpler physical references. Albert Breer of The MMQB has provided another nice comparison for the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. He wrote that it's easy to see the influence Larry Fitzgerald had on him during his early years in the league.
In addition to these comparisons, there are also several other players who have inspired or influenced him during his career so far. These include Arian Foster, DeSean Jackson, Michael Vick, Randy Moss, and Terrell Owens.
Foster was a running back from Alabama who became one of the most successful quarterbacks in NFL history. He played only two seasons before being drafted by the Texans but still managed to throw for over 10,000 yards while playing in 47 games (including the playoffs). He died at the age of 28 after suffering a heart attack during training camp in 2016.
Jackson was a speedster out of USC who spent his first seven seasons with the Eagles before moving on to play for three other teams over the next eight seasons. He finished his career with the Raiders as one of the top receivers of all time having caught 471 passes for 6443 yards and 42 touchdowns.
What makes DeVonta Smith so special? On offense, there is nothing this man cannot accomplish. He possesses the toughness to block when necessary, the dexterity to escape tacklers, and the ability to grab anything thrown in his zip code by using his body placement as a tool to make life simpler on a quarterback and difficult on a defensive back.
On defense, he knows how to use his hands effectively, can stop the run or pass, and has the speed to back up at corner if need be. His overall impact on the game is undeniable; no one can match his talent.
DeVonta Smith was born on January 4th, 1992, in Pompano Beach, Florida. He is the son of DeVonte Smith Sr. and Tanisha Young. DeVonte Jr. has two siblings: a sister named Dominique who is also a football player, and a brother named Terrance who is not as involved in athletics. DeVonte Jr. started playing football when he was five years old. He attended North Broward High School where he played wide receiver for the North Broward Raiders high school football team. As a freshman, he made 16 catches for 394 yards and four touchdowns. As a sophomore, he had 51 receptions for 1,079 yards and 14 touchdowns. As a junior, he had 81 catches for 1,477 yards and 17 touchdowns. And as a senior, he had 95 catches for 1,607 yards and 20 touchdowns.
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