Eagles WR Devonta Smith becomes 5th player to win Super Bowl, college national title and Heisman Trophy
DeVonta Smith joined some exclusive football company with the Philadelphia Eagles' 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
The fourth-year pro became the fifth player to win a Super Bowl championship, a college football national championship and a Heisman Trophy during his career. The others to collect that trifecta of accomplishments are Charles Woodson, Reggie Bush, Marcus Allen and Tony Dorsett.
Smith first won a national championship at Alabama in 2017, then again in 2020. That season, he also won the Heisman, finishing ahead of quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Mac Jones (his Crimson Tide teammate) in voting.
Woodson earned his Heisman Trophy, famously beating out Peyton Manning, and a national championship at Michigan in 1997. He won Super Bowl 45 with the Green Bay Packers in 2011.
Bush was on two national championship teams with USC in 2003 and 2004. He won the 2005 Heisman, which he forfeited amid an NCAA investigation and sanctions against the Trojans' football program. But the award was returned to him when name, following image and likeness (NIL) endorsements being allowed for NCAA athletes. Bush was also on the 2010 New Orleans Saints team that won Super Bowl 44.
Welcome Back, Reggie!Congratulations to @reggiebush on his return to the Heisman family. From outstanding performances on the field to moving with pride and integrity off the field, this is a moment richly deserved.Your 2005 Heisman Trophy winner, The University of Southern… pic.twitter.com/m3DJyFGPQb
— The Heisman Trophy (@HeismanTrophy) April 25, 2024
Allen was the 1981 Heisman winner, finishing ahead of Herschel Walker. He was on a split national championship team at USC in 1978, which was voted No. 1 in the UPI coaches poll while Alabama got the nod in the AP poll. And he won Super Bowl 18 (in addition to MVP honors) with the Los Angeles Raiders.
Finally, Tony Dorsett finished off the 1978 NFL season with the Dallas Cowboys winning Super Bowl 13. He won a national championship with Pittsburgh in 1976 and also earned the Heisman that season, getting 701 of 839 first-place votes.
Smith finished with four receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles' Super Bowl victory.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Zakai Zeigler's prelimiary injunction challenging NCAA redshirt rule for fifth year of eligibility denied
Several weeks after Zakai Zeigler filed a lawsuit against the NCAA seeking a fifth year of eligibility, his preliminary injunction has been denied, according to Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger. Zeigler had already played four seasons for Tennessee and didn't begin his college career until 2021, one year after the 2020-21 class that was allowed one more year of eligibility lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertisement In the lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District Court of Tennessee, Zeigler was looking to play the 2025-26 season, challenging the NCAA rule that an athlete has four years of eligibility within a five-year window. Zeigler, 22, isn't allowed an opportunity to earn NIL money for a fifth year because he used up all of his eligibility. As the lawsuit argues, that deprives him of a fifth year, "the most lucrative year of the eligibility window for the vast majority of athletes." How lucrative? The lawsuit argued that Zeigler could earn between $2 million and $4 million in a fifth year based on his record of success and visibility playing in the SEC. Those figures are projections from the Spyre Sports Group, which facilitates Tennessee's NIL collective. Advertisement Athletes who receive a redshirt are allowed a fifth year of eligibility, which gives them one more year to earn NIL income. A freshman who was redshirted, for example, would still be able to earn NIL money even if he or she doesn't play. As the filing, the documents of which were posted online by Boise State professor Sam Ehrlich, reads: "Many players, however, do compete in the fifth year of their eligibility window. And they can earn NIL compensation for all five of those years. Had Zeigler been withheld from competing in sports during one of those four years, perhaps by redshirting, the NCAA rules would permit him to participate again next year. And this is true even if he would have slowed his academic progress and taken five years to graduate." Zeigler graduated in May, majoring in retail and merchandising management. This is different from the lawsuit Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia filed against the NCAA, claiming that he should be allowed a fifth year of eligibility because he played his first two years for New Mexico Military Institute, a junior college. In December, Pavia was granted an injunction allowing him to play the 2025 college football season. Advertisement Last season with the Vols, the 5-foot-9 Zeigler averaged 13.6 points, 7.4 assists and 1.9 steals while shooting 32% on 122 3-point attempts. He was named a third-team All-American, and won first-team All-SEC and SEC defensive player of the year honors for two consecutive seasons. The Volunteers finished 30-8, 12-6 in the SEC, and advanced to the NCAA tournament's Elite Eight before losing to Houston. Zeigler holds the Tennessee single-season (275) and career (747) records for assists, and career steals with 251.
USA Today
21 minutes ago
- USA Today
Eagles biggest reason for optimism shouldn't come as a surprise
Eagles biggest reason for optimism shouldn't come as a surprise PFF reveals the Eagles' biggest reason for optimism, and it shouldn't catch anyone off guard. For just the fifth time in their 93-year history, the Philadelphia Eagles will enter the regular season as the defending champions. Three titles preceded the 1966 NFL/AFL merger (1948, 1949, 1960). They've added two Vince Lombardi Trophies to the shelf after winning Super Bowl 52 and 59. These young Birds fans certainly haven't gotten spoiled, haven't they? Most don't know the anguish of enduring Leonard Tose. They don't remember Bryce Paup shredding Randall Cunningham's knee. Three consecutive NFC Championship Games are foreign, and so is a depressing Fog Bowl. Young Eagles fans never had to endure seeing Reggie White leave, and you know what? The older guard ought to be thankful that they didn't. It would be cruel to wish that type of pain on anyone. This is one of the best eras of football this organization has seen, and there's still reason for more optimism. Pro Football Focus would undoubtedly agree with that last point. They recently offered a refreshing take, 'One reason for optimism for every team ahead of the 2025 NFL season'. As we know, Philadelphia has several, but it's hard to argue with the answer that PFF provided. How about a round of applause for the Eagles' loaded roster? There's plenty of content to wade through following Eagles OTAs and their single-day minicamp. Thank Dalton Wasserman for providing a nice distraction as we take a break before training camp begins in July. Philadelphia tacked an extension on the end of Saquon Barkley's current deal. Most of their young roster is locked up for the foreseeable future. They have young stars on an excellent defense. All are great reasons why Wasserman lists a 'stacked roster's return as cause for Birds fans to rest easy and smile broadly. Here's his explanation. "Philadelphia ran roughshod through the NFL last season en route to its second Super Bowl victory. This year's edition of the Eagles is poised to defend their title, returning 20 of their 25 players who led the team in snaps last season. Their defense, which paced the NFL in PFF grade last season, took most of the damage but returns stars such as Jalen Carter, Zack Baun, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean. The Eagles boast the best roster in the NFL heading into this season." This isn't the first time we've heard praise heaped on the Eagles' talent. The kudos are well deserved. Let's do some brief inventory. Their quarterback is the reigning Super Bowl MVP, and despite losing his first appearance in the big game, he has outplayed Patrick Mahomes on the big stage twice. Barkley is the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Philadelphia has the game's best one-two punch at wide receiver. They're also home to the game's best offensive line and a defense that is young and hungry, one led by one of the game's top defensive minds. Their owner is phenomenal. Howie Roseman is the best in the business. The fan support is otherworldly. One can certainly do a lot worse than being an Eagles fan. This season, Philadelphia tackles one of pro football's most demanding and challenging schedules, but they are armed well enough to handle the task of what will be a gauntlet. They return six Pro Bowlers (they should have had more). They return six All-Pros. Make no mistake. They'll be up to the challenge.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Drake Maye makes strong statement on Patriots new CB duo
Drake Maye has already seen enough to believe the New England Patriots have one of the best cornerback duos in the league with Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III. The second-year quarterback spoke with media members after a practice earlier in the week and showered heavy praise on the new-look defensive backfield for the Patriots. Advertisement "Anytime you go against a great defense. They've got good players. Two great corners. I tell Gonzo everyday, 'Imma test him.' I'm not gonna not throw at him or CD, two of the, I think, the best corners or one of the best duos in the league," said Maye. Gonzalez earned his first All-Pro nod in only his second NFL season last year. Meanwhile, Davis is a solid veteran defensive back and former Super Bowl champion. He recorded 56 tackles, 11 pass deflections and two interceptions with the Detroit Lions last season. Together, Gonzalez and Davis are a formidable duo who could end up ranking among the best in the league. It should make a major difference for a Patriots defense that looks much-improved in 2025. Advertisement Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook. This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Drake Maye makes strong statement on Patriots new CB duo
