DeVonta Smith has continued to compete throughout the offseason following a stellar rookie campaign, albeit with far lower stakes. Still, the sophomore wideout managed to draw a crowd — and even tailgaters — for a celebrity softball game
The charity softball game, which was organized by DeVonta Smith, took place Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, home of the AAA Lehigh Valley Ironpigs. Proceeds went towards St. Luke’s non-profit hospital network.
The event was full of food, fun games for kids, and even a home-run derby before the event. The derby was won by none other than the new Eagles recruit A.J. Brown, who hit a whopping nine long balls!
The game proved to be a star-studded event filled with current Eagles such as Jalen Hurts, Brown and a number of others. In addition, former NFL players including Micah Parsons and Eagles legend Lesean McCoy were also in attendance.
The players were separated into two teams with Smith and Parsons as captains. Jalen Hurts used his quarterback skills to pitch for Team Smith, while former Eagle Vinny Curry pitched for Team Parsons.
Team Smith took a commanding lead of 6-2 in the first inning with the help of an inside-the-park homerun from Avonte Maddox. Team Parsons then took a commanding lead in the fourth inning, bringing it to 12-6.
Luckily for Team Smith, a side change led to a huge momentum swing that started with a two-run double from Avonte Maddox. The game ended with Smith hitting a triple that allowed Dallas Goedert to score, which was immediately topped by a walk-off homerun courtesy of DeVonta Smith.
Team chemistry was apparent during the softball event, with DeVonta Smith waiting at home plate for Brown to round the bases to celebrate with his new teammate.
To put together an event of this caliber, the team really needs to come together. Experience and camaraderie from this and other future events will translate to the field for a better connection.