DeVonta Smith
A wide receiver whose slender frame belied a dominant force, capturing the Heisman Trophy with a season of breathtaking production at Alabama.
Born 1998 (age 28)·American football player·Birthday: November 14·Generation Z
Biography
Listed at 170 pounds, DeVonta Smith spent his football life being measured and underestimated. At Alabama, he quietly evolved from a reliable target into an offensive weapon of historic efficiency. His senior season was not just great; it was a systematic dismantling of every doubt. He led the nation in receiving yards and touchdowns, his route-running so crisp and hands so sure that his physical stature became irrelevant. The pinnacle was the Heisman Trophy, an award that had eluded receivers for decades, finally claimed by a player who proved dominance isn't always about bulk. Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, he immediately formed one of the league's most potent receiver duos, bringing his signature grace and big-play ability to the NFL, where the 'Slim Reaper' continues to haunt defenses.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
DeVonta was born in 1998, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When DeVonta Was Born
The biggest hits of 1998
#1 Movie
Saving Private Ryan
Best Picture
Shakespeare in Love
#1 TV Show
Seinfeld
DeVonta's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1998Born
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2003Started school
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2011Became a teenager
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2014Could drive
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2016Could vote
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2019Turned 21
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 28 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 2020 Heisman Trophy, becoming the first wide receiver to win the award since 1991.
- Recorded 1,856 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns in his senior season at the University of Alabama.
- Won two College Football Playoff National Championships with Alabama (2017, 2020).
- Caught the game-winning touchdown pass in overtime to secure the 2018 CFP National Championship.
Did You Know?
His game-winning touchdown catch in the 2018 national championship was famously thrown by fellow receiver Tua Tagovailoa, who entered the game at quarterback at halftime.
He is only the fourth wide receiver in history to win the Heisman Trophy.
He and Jaylen Waddle, another NFL receiver, were high school teammates in Louisiana.
“They said I was too small. They said I couldn't do it. I just kept working.”
