COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF MEDIA CONFERENCE

January 12, 2021

DeVonta Smith

Alabama Crimson Tide

CFP Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good morning and welcome to today's College Football Playoff national champion's press conference. Pleased to introduce Devonta Smith, the most outstanding offensive player of the game last night.

Let's go ahead and entertain questions.

Q. I think you went to a camp early on, maybe at Alabama, didn't get an offer. What was the interest from LSU since you were so close?

DEVONTA SMITH: Well, they just kept recruiting me just to kind of be a part of their team. That's all it really was. They kept recruiting me, kept pushing me to come there.

Q. Tell me overall about your journey at Alabama. Overall what did last night mean to you personally?

DEVONTA SMITH: Journey has been great. Last night meant a lot to me. Just everything that I came back for I've done and more. It's just truly a blessing.

Q. In a career full of incredible accomplishments that spans from making the game-winning catch in a national championship as a freshman in 2018 to winning the Heisman and a national championship this year, how would you summarize your Alabama career?

DEVONTA SMITH: It's been unique and unforgettable. Everything that's been happening from my freshman to senior year are things I'll never forget.

Q. Describe your focus level that you demonstrated throughout this season? People speaking to you about potentially being a Heisman Trophy winner, but keeping it focused game by game to the ultimate goal you received last night?

DEVONTA SMITH: Just that the Heisman wasn't something that I came back for. I came back to get a degree and to win a national championship. That's why that meant so much to me, why I was just so happy about it. Two main boxes that I wanted to check off, I checked off.

Q. If there is expansion in the future of this bracket, it would mean playing another game for a team like you. Can you imagine at this point having to play another game after all you guys have accomplished?

DEVONTA SMITH: I think it would just be just another game, just extra game for people to go out there and compete.

Q. How are you physically right now? How worn down are you?

DEVONTA SMITH: Outside of my hand, I feel good.

Q. What songs were you listening to in the pregame to get motivated for the performance you had last night?

DEVONTA SMITH: I kind of listen to somewhat of everything from Rick Ross to Pooh Shiesty. My playlist is everywhere, honestly.

Q. Multiple times you talked about checking off two boxes in coming back to school. Why did you decide to come back to school? What would you tell the youngsters that have that opportunity to move on or get education, why education is so important to you?

DEVONTA SMITH: Because eventually you're going to have life after football. Football is going to end one day. You're going to have to find something else to do.

I just wanted to get my degree, so hopefully when I'm done playing I can end up coaching or training athletes.

Q. I was hoping you could speak to the year Mac Jones has had. You two kind of being in the same class. If you could, talk about Mac.

DEVONTA SMITH: Well, he puts the work in. He's in early in the morning watching film, lifting weights. He comes out to practice every day and tries to make everyone around him better.

I feel like that's the reason this team has had a lot of success, because of the dedication we had, the discipline, just going into everything that we did.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much and congratulations.