The USFL kicked off its 2022 season over the weekend, though perhaps the most notable bit of news out of the league was a personnel decision involving a former Michigan standout, a 60-year-old coach and chicken salad.
Running back De’Veon Smith, who ran for more than 2,000 yards and 22 touchdowns in four seasons with the Wolverines from 2013 to ’16, was let go by the Pittsburgh Maulers for apparently violating the code of conduct set by coach Kirby Wilson. In a video showing Smith receiving the news from Wilson, it becomes clear that the violation in question stems from, as Wilson viewed it, a “disrespectful” interaction between Smith and a team staff member who was serving lunch.
The issue at hand between Smith and the staffer? It appears to be the age-old question of chicken salad vs. pizza.
“He crossed a line, so we had to deal with it,” Wilson said into the camera. “Line 46 [of the team handbook] addresses that: Any disrespect of football or members, staff, hotel, etc., will not be tolerated.’”
When Smith objects to Wilson and offered to tell his side of the story, Wilson responded, “It’s not important. It already happened.”
According to Smith, he was offered chicken salad and declined, then asked if he could have pizza instead. When told no, Smith says the staffer asked him whether that would be a problem, to which he replied yes.
The whole situation is bizarre for a multitude of reasons.
In the grand scheme of disrespectful acts, what Smith said and did seems like a pretty mundane interaction. But Wilson’s utter disinterest in listening to his player’s explanation—and downright dismissal of that explanation mattering at all—is even more perplexing. Can a food order really be viewed as disrespectful enough to cost a player a roster spot? And, perhaps more important, who wouldn’t want pizza instead of chicken salad?
The league’s decision to publicly release this video in NFL Hard Knocks style is also an interesting one. There’s likely more to this story, but for now, it’s keeping the USFL in the news, so perhaps that alone makes this a win for the league. Smith, for his part, still seems to be miffed by the entire ordeal.
