Deland McCullough Discovers Sherman Smith Is Father

Former NFL player Deland McCullough discovered he is the biological son of his longtime mentor, coach Sherman Smith, after searching for his birth parents. McCullough, who was raised by his adoptive mother Adelle Comer in Youngstown, Ohio, was recruited to Miami University by Smith at age 16 and long regarded Smith as a father figure. After becoming a father himself, McCullough located his birth mother living minutes away, who revealed that his father was Sherman Smith, leading to an emotional reunion in which Smith embraced him and said, "my son." Both men followed parallel football paths—Smith played eight NFL seasons and McCullough’s playing career was cut short by a knee injury—and later pursued coaching; McCullough is now the Las Vegas Raiders' running backs coach. The unexpectedly heartwarming reunion has been described as "divine" and has been recounted by outlets including Today, People and NBC.