For requesting pizza at the team’s hotel instead of chicken salad, former Michigan RB De’Veon Smith has been cut from the USFL Pittsburgh Maulers team. De’Veon Smith wanted some pizza but that has cost him an opportunity via TPS;
Smith, who played college football at Michigan, and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Miami Dolphins in 2017, was cut from the USFL Pittsburgh Maulers team because he requested pizza at the team hotel instead of chicken salad.
The hotel worker told him he couldn’t and asked if that would be a problem. Smith claims that he said “yes” and walked away.
Smith was released for violating line 46 of his players contract, citing that any disrespect that is shown to coaches, peers, hotel staff, or anyone associated with the league is punishable by termination.
As a Wolverine, he ran for 2235 yards between 2013 and 2016 while scoring 23 touchdowns. His dynamic running did not translate well in the NFL, despite an impressive performance with the Tampa Bay Vipers in the XFL.
He had a brief stint with the BC Lions of the CFL in 2021 before being released.
The news of De’Veon Smith being cut from the USFL Pittsburgh Maulers for wanting pizza instead of chicken salad was posted on Twitter and it reads;
They cut De’Veon Smith over him wanting pizza instead of chicken salad? And then put it on TV? He was one of our best backs in the XFL. Wild.
De’Veon Smith may have to wait until the XFL starts up again in 2023.
This is pretty insane and stupid. The man doesn’t eat chicken salad and it sounds like it was the hotel staff that was disrespectful to him. The Maulers are officially my least favorite team in the USFL now and secretly recording it makes it 10x to worse.
Flip to the next page for the video and the Twitter reactions.