With Clutch Consistency, DeVonta Smith will Never be Overlooked Again
The odds were probably similar to catching a spectacular one-handed ball in the end zone at LSU.
Or the same as leading the nation in nearly every receiving category and shattering team and conference records despite playing a shortened season.
Or of a true freshman catching the game-winning touchdown in overtime of the national championship game.
Devonta Smith, Heisman Trophy winner.
Like everyone saw that coming.
How about did anyone see that coming?
Along the way the Alabama senior wide receiver simply dismissed his doubters like he did defensive backs in coverage this season. It didn't matter the opponent, the location or whether he was double-teamed, Smith continually refused to be stopped.
The Slim Reaper used the motivation in becoming one of the most unlikely Heisman Trophy winners, when he became the third Crimson Tide player to lift the statue on Tuesday night.
That's not to suggest that Smith doesn't deserve the honor. He clearly does.
Some will say that a lot of things had to happen in a very specific way for Smith to become a rare winner while playing a position other than quarterback or running back.
There was a pandemic, dramatically changing the scheduling and approach to the season. Other top candidates didn't do enough to wow the voters, or have the same kinds of opportunity. Alabama's other top-notch receiver got hurt.
That's all true, but his numbers and consistency still stand up.
Besides, it seems kind of fitting that such an unusual season have an atypical Heisman winner.
If you go back to the preseason predictions, which this year especially were a bit of a crap shoot since no one knew what to expect, Smith's name wasn't listed among the favorites. Neither was third-place finisher Mac Jones.
Who would have thought that an Alabama wide receiver would win the award before a Crimson Tide quarterback?
Credit preseason publication guru Phil Steele with having Smith listed as an All-American, but even he only had him mentioned among the "possibilities" for the Heisman. That's after 10 favorites and 16 "contenders."
It didn't look like a bad pick at the time.
Instead, it turned out that all three of Alabama's top playmakers, running back Najee Harris being the other, were Heisman-worthy. Barring something extreme they're still going to take home their fair share of hardware as well, and all of them still have their sights on winning the national championship.
The Crimson Tide offense has been that dominant.
Yet there were signs about Smith's ascension.
One was his being named a team captain. Not this year, when Smith was a senior who held off on the NFL for another season, but in 2019.
Remember this is a player who participated in every game as a freshman, and in the spring of 2018 got in some work at cornerback to be an emergency option at a position the Crimson Tide didn't have a lot of depth.
When you hear Nick Saban or teammates talk about a player working extremely hard, especially at the receiver position, pay attention. Amari Cooper was known for his work ethic, and so was Calvin Ridley. It's not just praise, but a tell.
"He goes out there and makes plays and he does it because he trains very hard in practice, puts the extra work in, and he’s been doing that for four years here," Jones said. "And he’s been doing that for a long time before he got here.
That includes everything from doing all of his pushups on his fingertips, to the thousands of extra balls he's caught after practice. His success has been anything but a fluke.
“I just come into practice every day, working hard,” Smith said. “I truly believe if you work hard, you're going to get the results that you want.”
He was also widely categorized as being the other player in an outstanding group of wide receivers.
Jerry Jeudy had a reputation for being an incredible route runner, and Henry Ruggs III was known for his speed, even though he also had terrific hands. Both were top-15 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Jaylen Waddle didn't start in 2019, but was already electric, and clearly the best punt-returner in college football.
If there was a knock on him it was being too skinny. Yet he simply did everything well, including block, and continued to get better to the tune of 223 receptions, 3,750 yards, 45 career touchdowns.
He simply just kept going.
Without Waddle, who missed seven games after getting hurt, Smith had 100-plus yards in six of them. He caught 60 passes for 1,085 yards and 16 touchdowns over that span en route to being named both the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and the Rose Bowl offensive MVP.
He didn't just have 100-yard games, but he topped the century mark eight times by halftime.
Smith finished with 231 yards against LSU, 184 on Florida, and 167 against Georgia.
Despite playing a 10-game SEC-only schedule he's first nationally in receptions (105), receiving yards (1,641) and receiving touchdowns (20).
Factor in his rushing touchdown and punt-return for another score and his 22 touchdowns ranked behind only Harris (27) and Iowa State’s Breece Hall (23).
Smith did everything asked of him and more.
“Just coming back and trying to finish things the way that I feel that we should have finished the past two years, with a national championship,” Smith said when announcing his decision to return for a final season.
He also did all this while carrying the moniker of being the guy who caught the 41-yard touchdown pass to clinch the Crimson Tide’s 17th national title, the glare of which could have easily been blinding. Second-and-26 was arguably the biggest play in Alabama football history, and one of the most well-known in college football lore.
The reality is that everyone actually did see this coming. They just didn't recognize it for what it was until the very end: Amazing.
"I don’t want to be known for doing one thing,” he said.
Never again.
Alabama and the Heisman Trophy
Top Finishers for Crimson Tide
Place, Name, Position, Year
- Mark Ingram II, running back, 2009; Derrick Henry, running back, 2015; DeVonta Smith, wide receiver, 2020
- AJ McCarron, quarterback, 2013; Tua Tagovailoa, quarterback, 2018
- David Palmer, wide receiver, 1993; Trent Richardson, running back, 2011; Amari Cooper, wide receiver, 2014; Mac Jones, quarterback, 2020
- Lee Roy Jordan, linebacker, 1962; Johnny Musso, halfback, 1971
- Joe Kilgrow, halfback, 1937; Harry Gilmer, halfback, 1945; Harry Gilmer, halfback, 1947; Pat Trammell, quarterback, 1961; Terry Davis, quarterback, 1972; Steadman Shealy, quarterback, 1979; Jay Barker, quarterback, 1994; Najee Harris, running back, 2020
- No one
- Cornelius Bennett, linebacker, 1986; Shaun Alexander, running back, 1999; Jonathan Allen, defensive lineman, 1999
- Quinnen Williams, defensive lineman, 2018
- Walter Lewis, quarterback, 1983
- Steve Sloan, quarterback, 1965; Bobby Humphrey, running back, 1987; Derrick Thomas, linebacker, 1988; Eric Curry, defensive end, 1992; Tua Tagovailoa, quarterback, 2019
