Twitter reacts to former Michigan RB De'Veon Smith chicken salad debacle
Chicken salad… or pizza, Michigan fans? Seems like an easy choice, right?
Few would guess you could lose your job over the dilemma, but former Michigan RB De’Veon Smith was dismissed from the USFL’s Pittsburgh Maulers after allegedly disrespecting a cafeteria worker while making the same choice most all of us would.
“He crossed the line, so we had to deal with it,” Maulers head coach Kirby WIlson said. “Line 46 addresses that. Any disrespect of football or members, staff, hotel, etc., will not be tolerated.”
Smith was asked if not receiving pizza in place of chicken salad would be a problem, to which he claims to have simply replied, “yes.”
Pittsburgh Maulers via Twitter: “On the first episode of ‘United by Football,’ the weekly USFL all-access docuseries on FOX, De’Veon Smith was shown on camera being cut from our team by coach Kirby Wilson. The show captures hundreds of hours of film with the intent of providing transparency to fans, but unfortunately, much of the context was left out in this moment. Smith had violated three team rules in a 24-hour span, and in this particular incident, disrespected a cafeteria worker, which wasn’t captured on camera. Smith has subsequently reached out directly to Coach Wilson to apologize and asked to be reinstated to the Maulers’ roster.”
Michigan’s De’Veon Smith fires back
- “I even got teammates that was right there…”
- “What rules did I break? Now your lying on my name????? Say less”
- “They really just put out a lie! Y’all really should be ashamed of y’all selves!”
- “See now y’all playing with my character and who I am as a man.”
- “Show me the three team rules I broke please!”
- “Now if I send these screenshots from our exact convo who’s the one lying?”
- “I was never made aware that I violated any team rules, let alone 3 in a 24hr span. I never disrespected anyone. Coach Kirby and I spoke after being released. In that talk, he said that he’d certainly vouch for my character.”
- “God does not like ugly man!”
Twitter reacts
Ted Nguyen
“Smith was 100% correct going with pizza over chicken salad.”
Devon Clements
“Yo this is LOL content.
You’re trying to build a brand doing this kind of crap to a player?”
Kevin Seifert
“If that’s the case, the scene as portrayed was a disservice to both Wilson and the player, De’Veon Smith. On the other hand, had that clip not circulated, how many people would have been talking about the USFL at all on Monday?”
Ryan Ermanni
“This De’Veon Smith situation is a freaking GIFT for the @USFL. I cannot believe he’s not on a USFL roster right now. Incredible story that gets people talking about the league.”
Anthony Broome
“This is a league for players clinging on to that last pro opportunity and trying to keep their careers alive. Taking that from someone over this is the only disrespect I see here.
Congrats on getting your dollar-store ripoff Hard Knocks moment in, though.”
Scott Dochterman
“The USFL really turned chicken salad into chicken bleep. It feels punitive and disrespectful to the player all for the sake of making a ‘Hard Knocks’ video.”
Tanner Marsh
“Few issues. Coach didn’t even stand up to shake his hand. Didn’t even hear what the player had to say about the situation. After not hearing him out, walks out after saying ‘good luck’
I have been released in a crappy situation but this makes me hurt for the player.”
JAKE ELLENBOGEN
“The Maulers are down 17-0. Their running backs are averaging barely over 3 yards per carry. Have to imagine De’Veon Smith would have been helpful”
Final words
Maulers HC Kirby Wilson doubled down following a 17-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Bandits on Monday night, saying this is the same Hall of Fame standard he’s always held throughout his career.
Wilson: “I’ve coached Hall of Famers, and this is not anything different. What I coach now, I coached 20 years ago. When I talked to Emmitt Smith, when I talked to Edgerrin James, when I coached Adrian Peterson, when I coached Curtis Martin, I coached them the same. I’m not asking any man on this football team to do anything differently than I coached those men to do. We have a very, very high standard of football. It wasn’t met today.”
Wilson added that he would be willing to help any football team that asks or inquires about the Michigan product but that it has yet to happen.
