DeVonta Smith explains how Alabama's loaded WR room fueled everyone to succeed
DeVonta Smith was a part of some legendary wide receiving corps at Alabama, and that’s helped fuel his football career into the NFL.
Running with guys like Calvin Ridley, Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy and Jaylen Waddle did nothing but help force Smith to get better. That he did of course, capturing the Heisman Trophy for the Crimson Tide during his final season in Tuscaloosa.
During an appearance on The Pivot Podcast, the former Alabama star explained how the Crimson Tide’s loaded wide receiver room fueled everyone to succeed, particularly how he approached the situation.
“I think it brought the best out of all of us,” Smith said. “You know, everybody was different in like, the things that they did, but you see those guys, you see what they do and you’re like, ‘Okay. That’s something I want to put in my toolbox.’ Like everybody had their own way of route running. Their own way of getting open. Their own way of making things happen with the ball. So it was just kind of like, you see these guys and everyone’s excited for each other, and you’re like, ‘I want to maybe do that in my game.’
“So you just worked on it, you talked to those guys and everybody just helped each other out.”
In the simplest terms, iron sharpens iron. That’s exactly what happened almost every day at Alabama, and that helped propel Smith and his teammates to becoming first round draft picks at the NFL level.
It hasn’t stopped there, as Smith and his former Alabama teammates have become some of the NFL’s best wideouts. Since joining the Philadelphia Eagles, Smith has been able to show why he was so highly regarded coming out of college, and many believe the best is still ahead of him.
Moreover, while Smith is a legend at Alabama, he refused to claim he’s the greatest to ever do it for the Crimson Tide. Instead, Smith pays homage to those who came before him, when asked who the best wide receiver to ever suit up for Alabama is.
“I’m gonna always put Julio [Jones] first. Like, that’s a pioneer. That’s No. 1 for sure. You can’t do nothing about that,” Smith added.
Jones was an early spark in Nick Saban‘s fiery run through college football. The 6-foot-3 wide receiver joined Alabama in 2008, Saban’s second season at the helm of the program. Jones didn’t wait to make his impact, becoming the first true freshman WR ever to start in a season opener for the Crimson Tide.
The rest is history. Jones concluded his time at Alabama ranked second in career receptions (179) and receiving yards (2,653) in school history and fourth in touchdown catches (15). The Atlanta Falcons selected Jones with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2011 Draft. Jones is a seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro.
Perhaps DeVonta Smith will have the NFL successes Julio Jones accumulated throughout his career when it’s all said and done. Time will tell, but the former Heisman winner is on his way, it seems.