Teen always saw his coach as a father figure. Years later, he uncovered a truth that changed their bond forever
The people who nurture us, whether related by blood or not, always hold a special place in our lives. For Deland McCullough, former NFL player, his coach, Sherman Smith was this person, TODAY revealed. From the time he was a teenager, he had been looking up to Smith, who would later shape and help build his form to make it in the NFL. Teaching him football skills, the coach also became a mentor, a friend and more. It was only years later that McCullough made a life-altering discovery. Smith started coaching McCullough when he was 16 years old at Miami University in Ohio. At the time, the teenager was being raised by his adoptive mother, Adelle Corner.
As Smith gave his best to hone the skills of the young athletes, he also aimed to shape them to become better men for the future. “The statement that I would make to the players as I coached them, I would say, ‘You may not be looking for a father, but I treat you like you’re my son,’” he revealed. The duo shared much in common, the main being their love for the sport and their brilliant performance during their time in the NFL.
“Both of us had great careers at Miami. Both of us (are) in the Hall of Fame at Miami. Both of us played professionally. Both of our careers ended because of knee surgeries, multiple knee surgeries. Both of us, after playing football, got an education. Both of us go to the Super Bowl multiple times, and unfortunately, both of us lose to Tom Brady,” McCullough remarked. It was a sort of an uncanny coincidence that many on their team would also ponder. While the athlete-turned-coach was grateful for Smith’s place in his life, he soon ventured to find his biological dad. It was only after years had passed and McCullough became a dad himself that he set out to learn the truth.
He went through the records and realized that his birth mother lives just a few minutes away from him. The man quickly set up a meeting, diving back into his birth story and popped the question — “So I said, ‘Well shoot, who’s my dad, you know?” he recalled. His mom’s words left him speechless. “Your dad is a man named Sherman Smith.” It couldn’t have been a coincidence that McCullough felt this connection with his coach. When he confronted the man about the truth, he learned that Smith knew McCullough’s mom when they were teenagers.
Unfortunately, the coach never learned that the woman got pregnant with his child and until that moment, he had no idea about being a dad. The first time they met, not as coach and student but father and son, it felt like a feeling that had been lurking for ages. “He opened the door, and he just opened his arms. He said, ‘My son,’” McCullough remarked. The athlete is beyond grateful and though he “chuckles” at a “spooky” yet "magnificent" story, he wouldn’t have it unfold any other way. “There’s no way you could write this, all these connections. You just have to believe that this is God directing our steps,” he said.