If you take a look at DeVonta Smith's résumé, get ready to read for a long, long time.
At nearly 27 years old, Smith is already one of the most decorated players in the history of football. He started his college career by catching a walk-off touchdown in the National Championship game as a true freshman. He then went on to win another title at Alabama and became the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy in nearly 30 years.
The Eagles selected Smith, who broke the Eagles' rookie receiving record, in the top 10 and he helped Philadelphia win the Super Bowl by catching an iconic touchdown known as "The Dagger."
Simply put, Smith doesn't have much to prove in the football world. He also doesn't need anything externally to push him to be his best.
"I don't have a clear-cut answer for you, honestly," Smith said about what motivates him. "I just feel like right now, I never short myself. Do I have a true motivational thing that's making me go out there? No, not really. [My] family is taken care of, everybody is good. I just never short myself. When I'm on the field, I'm always giving my everything because I never short myself for these guys that's in here with me."
While Smith doesn't need an extra push to go out there and dominate, that's not to say he doesn't have objectives on his mind. For as stacked as his list of accomplishments are, there is still something missing — Smith hasn't made a Pro Bowl or All-Pro yet during his NFL career. "That's my goal," he said.
Right now, he's well on his way.
Through nine games, Smith has 657 receiving yards and is on pace to surpass his career high of 1,196 set in 2022. He put up a monster performance against the Vikings, going for 183 yards and a touchdown to help the Eagles snap a two-game losing streak.
"I'm being honest, every week I do," Smith said about looking at his numbers. "That's the purpose of setting goals. You set goals for a reason. So to know where you're at with your goals, you have to look at that. I mean, everybody's different. Some people don't look at it. I look at it. Does it change the way I play or the way I think about things? No, not at all, but I definitely look at it."
Although Smith is aware of his stats, his focus isn't reaching a certain threshold. He just wants to do what's needed to get those Pro Bowl and All-Pro accolades he desires. "Whatever it takes for me to get there," he said.
Of course, the top priority for Smith is winning. Earning those honors is great, but at the end of the day it wouldn't mean much if victories didn't come as well.
"You have to look yourself in the mirror and think about it at the end of the day, the team's success, that's the biggest thing," Smith said. "Individual things will come, but just keep being patient. Because you never know, you might have a down week one week, then you might have a game where you just explode the next. You have to kind of take it for what it is and be willing to push forward."
That's especially the case in this Eagles offense, which is littered all over with talent. A.J. Brown, Saquon Barkley, and Dallas Goedert are some of the game's best players at their positions.
Smith knows he's not just going to earn Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors off volume in the offense. He needs to capitalize when his number is called, and he's more than prepared to do so to reach his goals.
"You're going to have your days," Smith said. "You're going to have your days where you're not going to get the touches you want. You're going to have those days where you're going to get a lot. So that's why I say you have to make the most of every opportunity." — Written by Matt Ryan
