Henry Ruggs III, DeVonta Smith together again in Las Vegas on Sunday

Alabama wide receivers Henry Ruggs III (11) and DeVonta Smith celebrate a touchdown during an SEC game against Texas A&M on Oct. 12, 2019, at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.

It will almost be like a family reunion when the Philadelphia Eagles play the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon.

“That’s my brother from another mother,” Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith said of Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III. “That was my roommate in college and things like that. Working at Alabama, this is something we dreamed of: Being able to play against each other in the NFL. Now we’re here.”

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Smith and Ruggs played as teammates for the Crimson Tide in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Smith stayed one more season in Tuscaloosa and won the Heisman Trophy in 2020.

“It’s like playing against my younger brother,” Ruggs said. “I treat Smitty like blood.”

In his second NFL season, Ruggs has almost surpassed his rookie stats six games into 2021. He has 20 receptions for 445 yards and two touchdowns and leads the NFL with an average of 22.25 yards per catch.

Smith has 27 receptions for 345 yards and one touchdown in his first six NFL games. The only Philadelphia player who has had more receptions and more receiving yards than Smith six games into his rookie season is DeSean Jackson in 2008.

Ruggs said being on the opposite sideline from Smith will be different than when the Raiders have played other opponents with former Crimson Tide teammates.

“Us playing against each other is going to be fun because I’m not going to want to sit down on the bench and watch the screen,” Ruggs said. “I’m going to be on the sideline -- hopefully, he’s on our sideline -- so I can talk smack and make noise, and he’ll make some noise back. …

“It will just be cool to watch him work and see who he’s become, and him do the same thing.”

Smith said the friendship goes only so far once the whistle blows. He said he’d already alerted Darius Slay, Philadelphia’s top cornerback, about one particular play that has been successful for Ruggs and the Raiders this season.

“The little bunch formation where he run the post, if I see him in a bunch formation, I’m hollering,” Smith said. “I told him he’s not scoring on it this week.”

While at Alabama, the careers of Ruggs and Smith overlapped with Tide teammates Robert Foster, Jerry Jeudy, Calvin Ridley, Cam Sims and Jaylen Waddle, who all are wide receivers on current NFL rosters.

“Everything was a competition,” Smith said. “Not just for me and (Ruggs), but the whole receiver room. Everything was a competition whether it’s who had catches in practice, who ran the best routes and things like that. No dropped passes and stuff like that. In practice, everything was a competition, even the GPS tracking. Everything was a competition with us.”

But Smith and Ruggs won’t be comparing their stats from Sunday’s game after the contest, the Eagles wide receiver said.

“I think it’s more knowing that we’re both here,” Smith said. “We’ve both been working for this moment, and we’re here, and now it’s just seeing each other and being excited for each other.”

Smith does plan to swap jerseys with Ruggs after the game, adding to the collection that he’s started with the jerseys of Ridley and Amari Cooper.

“Anytime there’s anybody from Alabama, I try to get the jersey,” Smith said. “This is the top one on my list probably.”

The Eagles and Raiders are scheduled to square off at 3:05 p.m. CDT Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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