SI

DeVonta Smith Gives Alabama Surprising Super Bowl Milestone After 59-Year Wait

The 2020 Heisman winner starred on the biggest of stages.

Patrick Andres

DeVonta Smith on Feb. 6, 2025.
DeVonta Smith on Feb. 6, 2025. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
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Think of all the success Alabama has had in football over the last six decades. Under Bear Bryant. Under Gene Stallings. Under Nick Saban.

Yes, the Crimson Tide have 10 recognized national championships to their name since 1966—the first pro football season to end in a Super Bowl. They are very good at the business of winning college football games and have produced plenty of stunning pro football players, but there was one shocking line absent on the Crimson Tide’s resume—no player drafted out of Alabama had ever scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

DeVonta Smith finally broke the odd bit of history on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver accomplished the milestone in Super Bowl LIX, hauling in a 46-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jalen Hurts with 2:40 left in the third quarter.

It seems hard to believe, given the sheer volume of talent the Crimson Tide have churned out over the years—but Smith is indeed the first Alabama first draftee to score on this stage.

The 2020 Heisman Trophy winner finally has a touchdown as big as his 2017 national-championship winner.

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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .

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