National Football League

Eagles WR DeVonta Smith talks sleep habits, eating McDonald's for breakfast, more

Published Aug. 24, 2023 3:06 p.m. ET

DeVonta Smith and his longtime girlfriend are expecting the birth of their first child during the upcoming NFL season. While there might be challenges of staying up through the night to take care of the baby, that isn't a concern for a player that's been nicknamed the "Slim Reaper."

In an interview with "The Pivot Podcast," the Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver explained why he isn't too concerned about his soon-to-be newborn keeping him up through the night.

"The only good thing about that is that I don't need a lot of sleep," Smith said. "I get four hours of sleep, I'm good. All I need is four hours. If I sleep a full eight hours, I ain't going to be worth nothing the next day."

Four hours of sleep per night is a surprisingly low number, especially for a high-level athlete. As Smith mentioned, most doctors recommend normal adults sleep nearly eight hours a night.

In fact, some of the world's best athletes sleep for longer than that. Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander aims to sleep for 10 hours a night. In 2012, LeBron James shared that he slept up to 12 hours per night. He's been a little more lax on how much sleep he needs lately, sharing recently that he aims for eight hours and that it would be "amazing" if he can get nine or 10 hours of sleep in a night. During his days of winning Grand Slam titles, Roger Federer said it's "not right" if he doesn't get 11 or 12 hours of sleep in a night.

Smith isn't alone though among star athletes in sharing a lack of sleep. Several NBA players have stated their issues with trying to sleep in recent years due to the league's travel schedule, with Andre Iguodala sharing he suffered sleep deprivation for his first 10 seasons in the league. In the NFL world, Cam Newton shared that he slept for fewer than five hours per night during the 2020 season.

However, Smith might be a bit of a unicorn with his habits. In 2021, he shared with GQ that he goes to a popular fast food joint for his pregame meal for home games.

"If it’s a home game, for breakfast, I’m going to McDonald’s," Smith said. "I’m not even going to lie to you. I have to get a McGriddle, two hash browns and an orange juice. If it’s a home game, I have to have it. If it’s a road game, I’ll just eat in the hotel. It’ll be some scrambled eggs, fruit, orange juice and that would be it. I really don’t eat a lot before the game. Right before the game, I’ll probably have some fruit and leave it at that."

During his interview with "The Pivot Podcast," the hosts noted that Smith was a bit unusual compared to other athletes they've interviewed because of his habits, hobbies and demeanor. The soft-spoken Smith shared that outside of football, he spends most of his time at home playing basketball and just laying low. He also shared that he has a hibachi restaurant he frequents on Fridays ahead of game days during the season.

Smith also talked about his Joker tattoo, saying he got it because he's such a huge fan of the character.

"I'm a big Joker fan," Smith said. "So, like, the Joker, that's my guy. I love Joker. My gaming setup is all Joker stuff. I've always been into the Joker and Batman and things like that. That was just part of it. That was just something I grew up always watching."

But when he was asked if he channels Joker-like energy on the field, Smith said he doesn't.

"I kind of lay low," Smith said. "I don't start nothing and it won't be nothing. That's kind of how I look at it."

Smith and the Eagles are looking to have a repeat of last season, in which the receiver helped Philadelphia have one of the league's best offenses. The Dallas Cowboys, arguably their top NFC East rival, loaded up their defense in the offseason to help counteract the Eagles' air attack, trading for Stephon Gilmore.