If you thought making it in the NFL was tough, try playing for the Pittsburgh Maulers of the USFL.
The United States Football League returned to action over the weekend for the first time since 1986 and it included a documentary series — “United By Football: A Season in the USFL” — on the league’s return which debuted on Saturday.
Perhaps the most shocking moment in the episode came from Pittsburgh Maulers head coach Kirby Wilson — a former running backs coach in the NFL — who is shown informing running back De’Veon Smith he has been cut from the team for seemingly ordering pizza instead of a chicken salad.
Check out the full clip:
Wilson says that Smith “disrespected” a staff member and that was the rationale behind cutting him, but Smith’s version of the story suggests there was no disrespect.
“I don’t eat chicken salad, and I was like, ‘is there another option?’” Smith tells Wilson. “[Someone] walked in with pizza and I asked ‘can I get a slice of pizza?’ He said, ‘No.’ He says, ‘is that gonna be a problem?’ I said, ‘yes.’ That’s all I said. No cuss word, no nothing. That’s all I said. I promise you. No disrespect on my dad’s life.”
But Wilson told him the decision was made already and did not seem to have any regrets over it.
“Someone’s hurt feelings are a distant second to the greater good of the team,” he said. “And we’ve moved on and turned that page, and I’m happy we did it.”
Smith tweeted his reaction to the scene when it aired Saturday night.
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