WATCH: Devonta Smith gives medical advice to Eagles teammate
Philadelphia Eagles rookie wide receiver Devonta Smith has made an early impact on the field but showed off his medical knowledge while mic’d up last week. Through eight games, Smith has 33 receptions for 421 yards and one touchdown. Smith’s year-one numbers have been limited by the Eagles struggling offense but has not hampered his injury diagnosis skills.
After heading to the sideline with the wide receivers, Devonta Smith looked up at veteran Greg Ward Jr., who was using a massage gun on his leg.
“You gonna make it sore with that gun,” Smith told Ward, sitting down on the bench.
“I am?” asked Ward. “Yeah, because that’s a bruise,” responded Smith. “It ain’t just no soreness, it’s a bruise. You’re gonna aggravate it with the gun.”
Smith’s quick diagnosis impressed his teammate, who then asked about the next step to recovery.
“Movement?” asked Ward. Yeah,” responded Smith. “Just moving and stretching it.”
After testing Devonta Smith’s mic’d up theory, Greg Ward Jr. came back to ask one more question. He wanted to know whether all Alabama players learn to self-diagnose.
“‘Bama taught you that?” asked Ward. “I graduated exercise science, I know a little something damnit!” responded Smith.
More about Devonta Smith
Smith is a 6-foot, 170-pound wide receiver who finished his college career with 235 catches for 3,965 yards and 46 touchdowns. He finished 2020 with 117 catches for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns on his way to his second national championship. Smith became the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy since former Michigan star Desmond Howard in 1991. He was also named the Associated Press Player of the Year, won the Walter Camp, Biletnikoff and Paul Hornung awards.
Smith was reunited with former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia, where the two have developed good chemistry on the field through the first season. They spent two years together at Alabama before Hurts transferred to Oklahoma for his senior season.
“It’s great to have that connection come back,” Smith said during practice this summer. “It just feels like old times, like back in college.”
Hurts won the starting job in 2020 after injuries sidelined Carson Wentz. He returned as the starter in 2021 with Gardner Minshew II and others behind him.
Smith joins an Eagles receiver core that was in need of help after finishing No. 26 in the NFL in receiving yards last season. When asked about becoming the WR1 as a rookie, Smith told reporters: “That’s the plan.”
He joins returning receivers Jalen Reagor and Travis Fulgham, along with former college quarterback Greg Ward. Runnings back Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott are also part of the passing game.