Eagles’ DeVonta Smith ‘rocks the baby’ with his TD celebration the day after his newborn daughter arrived
Smith's newborn daughter, Kyse, was delivered Saturday morning, and the receiver made the team flight and a key touchdown catch in a win against the Patriots.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — DeVonta Smith‘s weekend couldn’t have been scripted any better.
After catching a touchdown pass in the Eagles season-opening win over the New England Patriots on Sunday, the 24-year-old busted out a “rock the baby” celebration that hinted toward what transpired the day before.
Standing at his locker in the depths of Gillette Stadium after the 25-20 Eagles squeaker, Smith let out a wide smile when asked what the meaning behind the celebration was: His newborn daughter Kyse, born to him and his girlfriend, Mya, early Saturday morning.
“Baby girl came yesterday morning,” Smith said. “Everything’s straight.”
Smith said Kyse’s delivery came earlier than expected, but the timing was kismet. The waiting game began for them on Friday night, but Smith was still able to make the team plane to Providence, R.I. by Saturday afternoon.
By the time he finished logging seven catches for 47 yards and a touchdown against New England, he was itching to return to his girlfriend and their new addition.
“It was a long night, man,” Smith said. “Long night, in the hospital all day, just waiting. It’s a blessing, man, very exciting. I’m ready to get back home to her now.
“Everything just lined up perfectly. It’s just we didn’t expect it.”
Smith’s long nights may not be stopping anytime soon, especially this week. The Eagles will host the Minnesota Vikings this Thursday and have plenty to address on offense coming out of the group’s first live action since February.
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The offense had uncharacteristic spells of unproductively, including a stretch in the first half when the group went four straight drives without managing a first down. Smith’s score was the only offensive touchdown of the game for the high-powered offense. Smith’s seven catches tied A.J. Brown for the team-high and his 47 receiving yards was second on the team. He was instrumental in setting up a scoring drive early in the fourth quarter, logging three catches for 35 yards that series to get Jake Elliott in range for a 48-yard made field goal.
The touchdown came on the Eagles’ second series, when Smith grabbed a well-placed pass from Jalen Hurts from 5 yards out. Hurts put the ball low and outside, where only Smith could get it, and the third-year receiver made the catch falling to the ground.
By the time Smith got to his feet, Quez Watkins was already lobbying for him to do the celebration the group of wide receivers had discussed earlier.
“I enjoyed every minute of it,” Smith said. “It was amazing, man. Everybody was talking about it, like, ‘Let’s go! You have to rock the baby.’”
Said Hurts: “It was a very nice moment, a very nice moment for him. You know, obviously he’s a big-time player but even better person. So I can only imagine how great of a father he’ll be.”
Smith said Brown, who welcomed his second child early last season, made sure to save the touchdown ball for Smith to deliver to his daughter once the team flies home.
Having gone through the emotions of a welcoming a newborn baby mid-season and the challenges it can present so recently, Brown said he has been giving Smith some pointers on how to manage the new household dynamics.
“I told him to nap when baby girl naps,” Brown said. “But just try to enjoy every moment. Don’t rush through it. Don’t rush to, ‘I wish they’d start crawling’ or try to speed up the process. Because once they start moving, it’s a whole ‘nother ball game.
“Being a father is the best job in the world. Football doesn’t come close to being a father. Just to see him go through the whole process, being there for his girl, it’s a beautiful thing.”