Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
New WR Smith has independent streak that should work for him
Eagles’ first-round draft pick DeVonta Smith grew up in a household where his father, Kelvin Dickerson, and mother, Christina SmithSylve worked demanding jobs.
Smith explained how that encouraged him to be independent during a videoconference Wednesday as Eagles rookies gathered at the NovaCare Complex for their first camp this weekend.
“I was always kind of mature,” Smith said. “That’s just how I always was. I was always by myself a lot. I feel like I’m a really independent person. I never really depended on anybody to do anything for me. That’s how my mom is. That’s how my dad is. That’s how I was.”
Independence was one of the qualities the Eagles appreciated when they traded up two spots to select the Heisman Trophy winner one spot ahead of the New York Giants, who also coveted him.
Soon after Smith realized how heated the EaglesGiants rivalry was, and obviously how it was going to be twice a year in the NFC East. Think Alabama-Auburn times two.
“With the draft you never know what to expect,” Smith said. “From what I’ve heard and the things I’ve seen, I can see that the rivalry was pretty big just from that moment.”
The Eagles have their fingers crossed that Smith (62, 166), despite the skinny frame, will be able to get open as often as he did on the way to setting the SEC record with 43 career scoring receptions.
Smith caught 68 balls, 14 for touchdowns largely with Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback for the Crimson Tide during the 2020 season.
In the Heisman Trophy season, Smith caught 117 passes for 1,856 yards (15.9 ypr.) with 23 TDs. With fellow first-round pick Mac Jones at quarterback, Smith scorched Ohio State with 12 receptions for 215 yards (17.9 ypr.) and three scores in the national championship victory.
It’s been a while since Smith lined up in his football gear. That makes rookie camp special.
“It’s always great just to be able to go back to playing football and doing things like that,” Smith said. “I’m excited and I’m ready to get to work.”
During Smith’s videoconference, he spoke about accompanying his mother, a child welfare specialist for the Department of Children and Family Services in Amite, La., when she fulfilled her children’s services duties. He knew his mother appreciated the company.
“Any time she let me come, I always went,” Smith said. “The job she’s doing, I mean you go into family’s houses and take their children away from them. It’s not always the easiest job. I’ve heard things that happened, and it wasn’t so safe. That’s not something you want your mother to be in, to be in a situation like that.
I always wanted her to not be doing it but that’s what she went to school for. I can’t blame her for it. I think it made me a better son just because knowing the things that go on in other households, I would never want to put my mom in a situation like that.”
Smith’s father manages a detailing business in their hometown of Amite. Independent as Smith was, he typically brought his younger brother Christian along for the summers he spent conditioning at Alabama.
“I like having him around just because if he’s around me at Alabama he’s not back at home around the bad things going around there,” Smith said. “It was a time for him to see this wasn’t given to me, that I had to work for this. Any time I had a workout or anything he was getting up with me at 5:30 in the morning and going to the workout. He’s seeing what you have to do to get to this point. It was always good for him to see that.”
The Eagles have big plans for Smith. If he’s as driven as he was at Alabama, he will be well worth the price to move up.