On Tuesday LT Donovan Smith signed a 3-year extension worth $41.25 million. After all of the late practices as a kid, sacrifices by his family, and perseverance to make it to the pro’s.. It has finally paid off for Smith. He has finally found a symbol of success. A big pay-day from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After signing his extension, his first call was to his mom as reported by ESPN’s Jenna Laine.
Bucs offensive tackle @DSmith_76 said he FaceTimed his mother Sharon Thomas as soon as his new deal was done. "One of the hardest things for me is to see my mother cry.” https://t.co/zAxKhTYaZA pic.twitter.com/mhiDSaSioT
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) March 6, 2019
Smith was asked what was his mother’s reaction to her son signing a massive deal, and he replied,
“She pretty much broke down and said, ‘I prayed for this day.'”
As a parent you will make all the sacrifices in the world for the chance that your kids will have the opportunity to live a better life than you have up to this point.
Donovan Smith’s mom is no different, and yesterday her dream finally became a reality for her son. And I’m sure a sigh of relief that everything put in to get to this point finally made a big difference.
Regardless if you think Smith is worth of an extension of this size or not, one must admit it is heart warming to see the interaction between family members. It reminds us that the players under the helmets and pads are human too. They are sons, fathers, husbands, and brothers.
It reminds us of the human element that is so quickly forgotten when the season gets underway. And hopefully we as a society are not so quick to forget it in the 2019 season.
