DeVonta Smith Family: Who is Behind the Success of Alabama Wide Receiver?

Published 04/27/2021, 1:44 PM EDT

The 2021 NFL Draft is right around the corner. There are a number of top-level prospects up for grabs this summer. Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Mac Jones, Trey Lance, Ja’Marr Chase, and Penei Sewell. Another player who has been getting attention lately is University of Alabama WR DeVonta Smith.

The young wideout impressed in 2020 as Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide football team won the CFP National Championship for the 6th time. Smith finished the season with a record-setting 1,856 passing yards and 24 receiving TDs. In doing so, he eclipsed LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase as the SEC wide receiver with the most receiving TDs (24).

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Despite his recent heroics, Smith’s rise to the top of the draft class has not been an easy journey. His family played a huge role in his development. Read further to find out more about the Smiths.

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Here’s how DeVonta Smith’s family helped him win a Heisman Trophy

Alabama Crimson Tide football team ended their campaign on a positive note last season. But it was Smith who made the headlines after breaking numerous records while playing in the SEC in 2020. The above video is from when he was adjudged as the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner ahead of Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones, and Kyle Trask.

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.@ShannonSharpe: “What’s the ideal landing spot for DeVonta?”@DeVontaSmith_6: “I want to go somewhere that feels like a family, where I enjoy coming here everyday.”
Listen here: https://t.co/sdiATNLuyi pic.twitter.com/ywigJm04wM
— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) April 26, 2021

In a recent video posted by ESPN, Smith spoke about his relationship with his barber-cum-family friend, Vincent Sanders. The latter has been with DeVonta right since he was a kid. Sanders played an important role during Smith’s adolescent years.

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There was a point in his high school career that DeVonta was considering foregoing his football career and try out for the NBA. But Sanders always believed in him and pushed him to work harder. The rest, as they say, is history.

“We did everything the right way. He (DeVonta Smith) didn’t shortcut and he took everything I said he turned out great,” Sanders said in the above video.

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A lot has been spoken about DeVonta’s physical attributes ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft. But it will be his strong emotional support and the love of his family that will help him make it big in the NFL. The league is about to be blessed with a gem of a youngster!

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Daniel Arambur is an NFL writer and content strategist for EssentiallySports.With more than 1,000 articles, he is one of the senior writers in the NFL cohort at ES. A mass media graduate from the University of Mumbai, Daniel has found the perfect blend of vocation and passion in the sports content niche.

DeVonta Smith Family: Who is Behind the Success of Alabama Wide Receiver?

Here’s how DeVonta Smith’s family helped him win a Heisman Trophy

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