WATCH: DeVonta Smith hauls in one-handed touchdown catch over Patrick Surtain II
DeVonta Smith has been having a stellar rookie campaign so far for the Philadelphia Eagles. Today, his latest victim was Denver Broncos’ rookie defensive back Patrick Surtain II. The two players were teammates for the Crimson Tide just a year ago.
Check it out as Smith mosses Surtain II with this amazing 36-yard touchdown grab from Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts.
It was absolutely perfect coverage by Surtain II. It was simply an even better grab by DeVonta Smith. The touchdown score put the Eagles up 10-0 on the Broncos with less than four minutes left in the 1st quarter.
DeVonta Smith at Alabama
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.
He spoke a number of months ago about why he was so excited for Smith.
“Well, I was excited for Smitty,” Saban said 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.”
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 in his Heisman Trophy-winning season.
On3’s Jonathan Wagner also contributed to the report.