Why Nick Saban was so excited that DeVonta Smith won the Heisman

DeVonta Smith had a monster 2020 season and was a big part of Alabama going undefeated and winning the national championship. Smith’s strong play and impressive stats earned him the 2020 Heisman Trophy. Alabama head coach Nick Saban does not believe that there could have been a more deserving player for the award.

Smith played sparingly over 2017 and 2018 in his first two years with Alabama. In 2019, he broke out with 68 receptions for 1,256 yards and 14 touchdowns. Last season, Smith hauled in 117 receptions for 1,856 yards and 24 total touchdowns. He now joins the Philadelphia Eagles as the 10th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. Smith could be in line for a major role right away on a team that lacks offensive weapons.

Saban: Smith ‘took the weight of the world on his shoulders’ for Alabama

Alabama lost star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle for much of last season. It would have been easy for the offense to take a step back, but Smith didn’t allow that to happen. Smith stepped up and produced one of the most productive seasons in recent memory for Alabama. Saban has coached a ton of players in his career. Smith ranks as one of the best at Alabama due to his production paired with his strong worth ethic.

“Well, I was excited for Smitty,” Saban said on Thursday when asked how exciting it was to see his Alabama star win the Heisman. “I talked about competitive character earlier. I don’t know that we’ve had three players in the program over the 14 teams we’ve been a part of here that have had better competitive character, was a better leader on the team, or set a better example on and off the field for what you want to see people do for an opportunity to be successful. So, in every way, as a player, in his production, his performance, the kind of person he was, the kind of character he had, you always root for guys that do all those things exactly right. You’re so happy for them when they get some kind of positive recognition because of what they were able to accomplish.

“I don’t think we’ve had many players here that have had as much production as him. Maybe if Waddle doesn’t get hurt he doesn’t have as much production. But you talk about a guy that kind of took the bull by the horns when that happened. It could’ve been a big negative for our team, but he didn’t skip a beat. He kind of took the weight of the world on his shoulders and did a marvelous job at handling every circumstance and situation that someone presented to him. I think it was really deserving. It’s a tough position to win the Heisman. But it couldn’t have been a more deserving player and I couldn’t have been happier for a player.”

Smith’s 2020 season was one that Saban and Alabama will never forget. It is rare to see non-quarterbacks win the Heisman, but Smith was a deserving exception.