DeVonta Smith congratulates Alabama’s Bryce Young with Heisman Trophy: ‘From One Heisman Winner to Another’

Alabama winger Bryce Young officially won the 2021 Heisman Cup on Saturday, giving Alabama the first player in that position to claim the most illustrious individual title in American sport.

Not only does this win mark the first time a Crimson Tide quarterback has won the award, it also makes Alabama the sixth show in Heisman’s history to produce consecutive winners, after Yale (1936- 37), Army (1945-46), Ohio State (1974-75), USC (2004-05) and Oklahoma (2017-18). And former Alabama recipient DeVonta Smith, the player who made that feat for the Crimson Tide, had a special message for Young after he was revealed as the latest Heisman winner.

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Smith, who won the trophy in a virtual 2020 ceremony – as required by the COVID-19 pandemic – sent a pre-recorded message to his former college roommate, who could received his award in person at the Lincoln Center in New York.

Smith noted some similarities between himself and Young in the video, noting in particular how the two deal with question marks over their sizes. Young, listed at 6-0, weighing 194 pounds, is both the shortest and lightest of the four 2021 Heisman finalists (the other three finalists being Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud). , Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett and Michigan defensive back Aidan Hutchinson). Smith is listed as 6-1,175 pounds in height and weight in Alabama.

“Bryce, from the day you stepped foot in school, we knew you were different,” Smith said. “Sure, people were suspicious: Too small. Too skinny. They said the same thing about me. But here you are.”

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Indeed, Young (314 of 462 passes, 4,322 yards, 43 touches, four interceptions; 31 yards forward, three hasty touches) noted his doubts during his acceptance speech. Heisman:

“You know, for me, I’ve always been a non-prototype person,” Young said. “And, being an African-American full-back and being ‘short for size’ rather than that archetype, I’ve always been left out and out. People have told me so many times that I wouldn’t be able to. And for me, that always happens, not really proving them wrong, but proving to myself what I can accomplish.”

It seems that Heisman voters didn’t mind Young’s size in their vote count: he won 684 votes in first place (10th most of all time), winning all Heisman’s six constituencies and accounted for 83% of the total vote.

That wasn’t the only connection Smith made to Young in his congratulatory message – he also noted that he was the recipient of the future Heisman Trophy winner’s first touchdown pass, a 18-yard game against Kentucky in 2020.

“They didn’t know that, that pass was from one Heisman winner to another Heisman winner,” Smith said.

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“So from the entire Alabama family,” Smith said, “thanks. And welcome to the Heisman family.”