An Ohio man’s journey to find his birth father took a surprising turn when he learned that the man he believed he never knew was a lot closer than he thought. Raised by his adoptive mother, Deland McCullough didn’t grow up knowing his biological parents. But as a promising young football athlete, he had coaches who stepped in and provided support and guidance he needed to be the best, including Coach Sherman Smith.
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McCullough first met Coach Smith as a teenager in 1991 when Smith came to his Youngstown home to recruit him to play for Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. The two formed an instant bond, as Smith cared for all of his players like family.
“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,’” Smith told NBC’s TODAY in an interview.
As their relationship grew, McCullough leaned on Coach Smith to help him through setbacks like losses and injuries, including a devastating knee injury which cut his NFL career short. After McCullough got married and had a family of his own, he set out to find the answers about his birth parents. He tracked down his biological mother and when he asked about his father’s identity, he got the shock of his life– it was Coach Sherman Smith. Although Smith knew McCullough’s mother as a teenager, he said he had no idea the two shared a child.
Smith, who played in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks and San Diego Chargers, retired as the running backs coach of the Seattle Seahawks in 2017. McCullough is currently the running backs coach for the Las Vegas Raiders. McCullough admitted to TODAY that the similarities in their football careers is eerie.
“Both of us had great careers at Miami. Both of us (are) in the Hall of Fame at Miami. Both of us going to play professional. Both of our careers ended because of knee surgeries, multiple knee surgeries. Both of us, after playing football, getting an education. Both of us go to the Super Bowl multiple times, and unfortunately, both of us lose to Tom Brady,” he said.
Smith said he believes there’s only one way to explain their new-found kinship –divine intervention.
“There’s no way you could write this, all these connections. You just have to believe that this is God directing our steps,” Smith said.
If you’re thinking this amazing story is perfect for the big screen, you’re not alone. In fact, Smith already knows what actor he would like to see playing his part– Denzel Washington, of course.
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