Devonta Smith of the University of Alabama clinches the Heisman Trophy making history as being the first wide receiver to win since 1991. The Heisman Trophy Award was established in 1935 and given to college footballs’ most outstanding player of the year. To be nominated for this award, players must have outstanding statistics throughout the college football season and be one of the top ten players in college football. Winning this award is a prestigious honor and the winner gets added to the “Greatest College Football Players of All Time.”

Devonta Smith won the Heisman Trophy this year due to his outstanding stats over the 2020-2021 season, the season known to be the most challenging year in college football history due to the emerging COVID-19 virus. Doing the unthinkable in such a remarkable season Devonta Smith notched up 117 receptions, 1,856 all-purpose yards and 23 touchdowns in punching his ticket to the Heisman Trophy Award Ceremony and winning it all.

Every year, the Heisman nominees are narrowed down each week by comparing their stats from their most recent games. Ten players are initially selected and narrowed down to four finalists. Placing second for the Heisman pick is the junior quarterback at Clemson University, Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence had 3,153 yards, 24 touchdown passes, and threw 5 interceptions. The third pick is Mac Jones, the junior quarterback at the University of Alabama. Jones threw for 4,500 yards, threw 41 touchdown passes and threw 4 interceptions. Lastly in fourth place, Kyle Trask, the senior quarterback at the University of Florida. Trask threw for 4,283 yards, threw 43 touchdowns passes, and threw 8 interceptions during the season.

Smith, the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy since Desmond Howard in 1991. Desmond Howard has high praise for Smith, “He is a dawg, he has a crazy catch radius, and he’s very athletic.” This is high praise considering the award is mostly awarded to quarterbacks. During his speech, Smith said, “To all the young kids out there that’s not the biggest, not the strongest: just keep pushing.” Smith was doubted many times in high school because of his size but on January 5^th, 2021, he made history and opened the eyes of young athletes across the world.