Alabama’s Smith becomes 1st WR to win Heisman in 29 years
NEWYORK >> On an Alabama team stacked with stars, DeVonta Smith emerged as the best player in college football.
Smith became the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy in 29 seasons Tuesday night, breaking the monopoly quarterbacks have had on college football’s most prestigious award by beating out three of them.
The Crimson Tide senior is the fourth receiver to win the Heisman, joining Michigan’s Desmond Howard in 1991, Notre Dame’s Tim Brown in 1987 and Nebraska’s Johnny Rodgers in 1972.
The other finalists were Smith’s Alabama teammate Mac Jones, Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Florida’s Kyle Trask. Crimson Tide running back Najee Harris finished fifth in the voting.
Quarterbacks had won 17 of the previous 20 Heisman trophies, including the last four.
NBA
SLAILAGIC OUT AT LEAST
FOUR WEEKS AFTER KNEE SURGERY >> Warriors forward Alen Smailagic will miss at least the next four weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a right meniscal tear, the team announced Monday.
Smailagic, who has not played in the first six games of the season, had the procedure performed Monday morning at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in South San Francisco by Dr. Chris Lehman. Smailagic, 20, will begin rehabilitation immediately and will be re- evaluated in approximately four weeks.
NFL
CLEVELAND ROCKED: BROWNS LOSE COACH TO VIRUS FOR STEELERS >> Two days after celebrating their return to the NFL playoffs, the Cleveland Browns were knocked flat.
COV ID - 19 will keep coach Kevin Stefanki — and at least two players, one a Pro Bowler — out of the team’s first playoff game since the 2002 season.
The Browns announced Tuesday — 18 years to the day since their last playoff game — that Stefanski tested positive with the virus, which has plagued the team in recent weeks and now causing a devastating disruption as Cleveland prepares to play the Pittsburgh Steelers for the second straight week on Sunday.
Stefanski tested positive along with Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio, wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge and two coaching staff members — tight ends coach Drew Petzing and defensive backs coach Jeff Howard. The Browns already had six players and three other assistants on the reserve COVID-19 list.
Soccer
LA GALAXY HIRE LLS CUO WINNER GREG VANNEY AS HEAD COACH >> The LA Galaxy have hired MLS Cup winner Greg Vanney as their head coach.
The club announced the deal with Vanney, who played seven seasons with the Galaxy in two stints before beginning his successful coaching career.