Philadelphia Eagles star DeVonta Smith made a bold claim about his place in college football history.
Appearing on an episode of “7PM in Brooklyn,” Smith gave credit to several wide receivers who came before him — but said he might be No. 1.
DeVonta Smith Appears on ‘7PM in Brooklyn’
A little over a month after torching Kansas City in the Super Bowl, Smith joined hosts Carmelo Anthony and Kazeem Famuyide to talk about his teammates, the wide receiver position, and his legacy in college football.
At one point, the conversation turned to wide receivers and the “diva” label often tied to them. When asked why that stereotype exists, Smith defended his fellow pass catchers.
“I don’t think people really understand how hard it is to be a receiver,” he said.
“So much has to go right for you to get the ball. You gotta go, snap, O-line gotta block, quarterback gotta make the right read, running back gotta pick up blocks.” Smith explained that a receiver’s frustration often comes from relying so much on others just to have a shot at making a play.
This breakdown from DeVonta Smith on the difficulties of the wide receiver position is too real 💯@DeVontaSmith_6 pic.twitter.com/pxUNRK8rsu
— 7PM in Brooklyn (@7PMinBrooklyn) March 21, 2025
“For us to even get a chance, so much other stuff [has] gotta go right. But it’s tough, man, but, you know, everybody deals with it differently.” The Super Bowl champ shared that his way of dealing with the pressure is by listening to gospel music.
Smith Ranks Himself Among College Football Greats
During the interview, Smith was asked if he sees himself as the greatest wide receiver in college football history. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2020 after a dominant 24-total touchdown season.
His 23 receiving touchdowns that year are the fifth most in a single season in college football history, and his 1,856 receiving yards rank No. 7.
When Famuyide asked if he was the best to ever do it, Smith hesitated, choosing first to shout out some legends.
“You had Julio [Jones], run-first offense, was the only option in the pass game, doing the things that he did. You had Coop (Cooper Kupp), who was just, like, cooking everybody. Justin Blackmon, he won the Biletnikoff back-to-back.” Even with his confidence, Smith showed love to the players who paved the way.
“Those guys, kinda, made me wanna do what I did, take my receiver stuff to another level.”
Where does DeVonta Smith rank himself among all-time college football receivers? 🤔
"I'm No. 1." 🐐 pic.twitter.com/sxjbrOIGKi
— 7PM in Brooklyn (@7PMinBrooklyn) March 21, 2025
But when asked where he ranks among the four wide receivers who have won the Heisman, Smith didn’t hold back.
“Out of them, I’m No. 1.”
Smith’s confidence fits a player with his resume. At just 26 years old, he still has time to build an even bigger legacy in the NFL.