In an all-star Alabama team, DeVonta Smith became the best college football player. Smith became the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy on Tuesday night in 29 seasons, breaking the monopoly quarterbacks that have won the most prestigious college football award by beating three.
“I want to thank my teammates,” Smith said during his acceptance speech. “With the success of the team you achieve individual success, so without you all you wouldn’t be where you would be, winning this award.”
Smith finished with 447 votes in first place and 1,856 points to easily beat Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence (222, 1,187), Alabama teammate Mac Jones (138, 1,130) and thriving Kyle Trask (61, 737).
Senior Crimson Tide is the fourth receiver to win the Heisman, joining Desmond Howard of Michigan in 1991, Tim Brown of Notre Dame in 1987 and Johnny Rodgers of Nebraska in 1972.
The quarterbacks had won 17 of the previous 20 Heisman trophies, including the last four.
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Smith is the third Alabama player to win the Heisman, all since 2009. Like Tide runners Mark Ingram (2009) and Derrick Henry (2015), Smith will play in the national championship as a Heisman winner.
Alabama No. 1 faces Ohio State No. 3 on Jan. 11 in the College Football Playoff title game in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Heisman’s voting was completed on December 21, so performances in the playoffs were not a major factor. But Smith made good on those who supported him with a brilliant three-touchdown game against Notre Dame in the PCP semifinals last weekend.
Smith has 105 catches for 1,641 yards and 22 total touchdowns in the final game of his college career, which will also be his third national championship game.
Smith carved out a place in Alabama’s historic history as a freshman, securing the winner of Tua Tagovailoa’s 41-yard touchdown in overtime against Georgia to endow Tide with the 2017 national championship.
For the next two seasons, Smith was still often the overlooked star of Marea’s talented 2017 receiver class, which included American Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs. Both players decided to skip the high season and enter the roster last year. Both were selected in the first round.
Smith returned to school to complete the race and form an explosive tidal combination with young Jaylen Waddle. Waddle then fell with a leg injury at the end of the season on October 24th.
As the undisputed No. 1 receiver on the Tide, Smith shone. The week after Waddle left, Smith had 11 catches for 204 yards and four touchdowns against Mississippi State.
The appearance of one-handed TD against Smith against LSU was not only his signature game, but one of the best of the 2020 season
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A former four-star recruit from Amite, Louisiana, Smith arrived in Tuscaloosa from LSU’s back garden, disappointing the numerous Tigers fans in his hometown.
He only received seven receptions as a freshman and, although he got the winning touchdown in the national title game, the history of the game was the kind that threw him.
Tagovailoa was Heisman’s candidate in Alabama for the next two years.
The discreet Smith quietly led the Tide in receptions and playgrounds last year as a junior and became a second team for the Americans.
Smitty – as teammates and coaches call him – did not appear as a candidate for Hesiman this season until Waddle fell.
Starting with that Mississippi state game, Smith pitched four games with 35 catches for 749 yards and 11 touchdowns that consolidated another nickname for the 6-foot 1 and 175-pound coach: the Slim Reaper.