Wingers Henry Ruggs and DeVonta Smith remain extremely close. In fact, even Ruggs’ 2021 arrest for drunk driving wasn’t enough to separate the two. Smith and Ruggs were both part of one of the most iconic moments in college football history – Alabama’s dramatic comeback victory in the College Football Playoff in January 2018. Ruggs caught Alabama’s first touchdown of the game after Tua Tagovailoa replaced Jalen Hurts – now Smith’s quarterback – while Smith caught the historic game-winning kick in overtime. Immediately after that moment, the two players followed very different paths. Ruggs entered the 2020 Draft, where he was selected 12th overall by the Las Vegas Raiders. Meanwhile, Smith remained at Alabama for another year, he won another national championship and accomplished the extremely rare feat of winning the Heisman Trophy as a winger.

Devonta Smith The Dagger Shirt

Ruggs had an up-and-down rookie season and was on his way to breaking out in his sophomore year when he was convicted for his role in a high-speed drunk driving crash that was fatal to the other driver. Meanwhile, Smith has established himself as a key cog for the Philadelphia Eagles since his rookie season and played a big role as they won in dominant fashion this year. However, even in the biggest victory of his professional career, Smith did not forget his old friend. It’s likely to be a complicated emotional ride for Smith, who must face the conflict between feeling sympathy for his friend in prison and, of course, the reality that he certainly deserves to be punished for what he did. Not only was Ruggs’ behavior extremely reckless, as his blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit and he was driving at over 150 miles per hour, but the crime was not without victims, claiming the lives of a woman and her dog.

However, bonds between teammates are difficult to break, and emotions do not always follow the logic of knowing that someone has done something unforgivable. At the very least, Smith’s steadfast commitment to supporting Ruggs shows an admirable sense of loyalty, something any athlete would be happy to see in a teammate. Ruggs is serving a sentence of three to 10 years, making him eligible for parole next summer – if he needs a character witness, you can bet Smith will be more than happy to bail on his friend.