Whenever Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith plays against another former Alabama playmaker, he tries to commemorate the occasion with a jersey swap.
In Week 1, the rookie swapped jerseys with Atlanta Falcons wideout Calvin Ridley. In Week 3, Smith traded with Dallas Cowboys playmaker Amari Cooper.
Sunday, Smith will look to add to his jersey-swap collection when he competes against his former Alabama roommate, Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs.
“This [jersey] is the top one on my list, probably,” Smith said Thursday.
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Ruggs and Smith arrived together in Tuscaloosa, Ala., as freshmen in 2017. Both wideouts emerged alongside fellow future first-round picks, Jerry Jeudy and Jaylen Waddle, during their time with the Crimson Tide.
While Smith stayed for his senior year and won the Heisman Trophy, Ruggs left after his junior season — like Jeudy — and was selected 12th overall by the Raiders last year. Jeudy would be taken by the Denver Broncos three picks later. In April, Waddle was selected sixth overall by the Miami Dolphins, and Smith went to the Eagles with the 10th overall pick.
All four first-round wideouts remain close and text every day about football and life, but Ruggs and Smith might be the tightest duo of the group. Smith is looking forward to seeing Ruggs on the opposite sideline this weekend.
“That’s my brother from another mother,” Smith said. “This is what we worked for at Alabama. This is something that we’ve dreamed of, being able to play against each other in the NFL and now we’re here.”
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Ruggs and Smith were a tidy tandem in their dorm room. Neither player was particularly outgoing off the field, as the wideouts preferred to stay in and relax with video games during their downtime. Smith and Ruggs were a duo on the field and on “NBA2K”, as they played together while mashing buttons in their basketball game.
Smith and Ruggs still play games together regularly, despite being on opposite sides of the country.
While they’ve barely talked about this week’s game at Allegiant Stadium, Smith did point out Ruggs’ tendencies when the Raiders put him in a bunch formation. Smith has already tipped off top cornerback Darius Slay to Ruggs’ quirks. Smith also told Ruggs that whenever that bunch formation pops up, he’ll shout out to the Eagles’ defense to warn them.
Just like at Alabama practice during their college days, Smith and Ruggs are still competing.
“Everything was a competition, not just me and him, but the whole receiver room,” Smith said. “Who had the most catches in practice? Who ran the best routes? ... Everything was competition for us.”
Smith and Ruggs relied on each other heavily during their time together at Alabama.
Smith would turn to Ruggs when he needed support and vice versa. Their bond goes beyond football, and their busy NFL schedules haven’t gotten in the way of their friendship.
Smith knows Week 7 will set the stage for a special moment between the two longtime friends before — and probably after — the game.
“We both have been working for this moment,” Smith said. “And we’re here, and it’s just about seeing each other and being excited for each other.”
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Mike Kaye may be reached at mkaye@njadvancemedia.com.
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