Amite native DeVonta Smith quietly taking NFL by storm

PHILADELPHIA (WVUE) - He may be soft-spoken but his game is anything but.

Amite native DeVonta Smith has never had to do a ton of talking off the field. Throughout a young life full of football, the slim 6′0 and 170 lbs. wide receiver has a knack for consistency and producing signature moments.

Now, Smith is one of the best wide receivers for one of the best teams in the NFL, the 14-3 Philadelphia Eagles.

In their 22-18 win over the New York Giants last Sunday (Jan. 8), Smith, with his first catch of the day, surpassed Irving Fryar for most catches in a single season by an Eagles receiver. Fryar had 88 receptions, 1,195 yards, and 11 touchdowns in 1996. Currently, Smith has 95 receptions for 1,196 yards and 7 touchdowns.

The only two players in Eagles history that have more catches than Smith in a single season are tight end Zach Ertz who hauled in 116 in 2018 and running back Brian Westbrook who caught 90 passes in 2007.

With so much early success in his NFL career, Smith is showing signs that he’ll continue to pass major milestones. Last Sunday, he surpassed Jordan Matthews’ franchise record for most catches through receivers in their first two seasons. He also broke DeSean Jackson’s franchise record for most receiving yards for players in their first two seasons. Smith has 159 catches for 2,112 yards in two seasons. Matthews had 152 catches in his first two seasons and Jackson had 2,068 in 2008 and 2009.

Smith was drafted No. 10 overall in 2021 by the Eagles after a storied career at Alabama that included National Championships and a Heisman Trophy win his senior year. Prior to Alabama, Smith was a 4-star standout for the Amite High Magnet School program under head coach Zephaniah Powell. In high school, Smith was part of a program that also featured Devonta Lee (LA Tech), Tyrus Wheat (Mississippi State), Ishmael Sopsher (Alabama/USC/SW MS CC), Rodney Sopsher (SE Louisiana), and Elijah Walker (LA Tech/Grambling).

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