Wilmington's Smallwood living out Eagles' Super Bowl dream in trying season

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Wendell Smallwood was 11 years old watching when the Eagles last played in the Super Bowl.

It was Feb. 6, 2005, and Smallwood was at his Wilmington home with his family, and he remembered thinking that he wanted to play for his hometown team in the Super Bowl one day.

Thirteen years later, that day is here. Smallwood, a running back for the Eagles, will be on the sidelines Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, in front of a packed stadium, with more than 110 million people watching on TV.

Several of his family members will be among those sitting in the stands after he flew them out for the game. And at some point, he said he'll look into the stands at them and smile. They, too, have been lifelong Eagles fans.

Smallwood said he's bringing his parents – dad, Wendell Sr., mom, Nichelle Barber  –grandparents, and some of his siblings.

"It’s just a dream come true," Smallwood said. "I’m just proud that I can bring my family that joy and let them see that. I remember back then that it was my dream to play for the Eagles and play in the NFL, and not knowing what God had in store for me. And it means, even more, knowing that this is the team we all rooted for.

"So here I am, 13 years later. I’m on the Eagles and we’re in the Super Bowl, and my family is able to be here and watch me. It’s crazy how life works."

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But really, it's not that crazy when you consider how determined Smallwood was to make it to the NFL. He proved that at Red Lion Christian Academy, then Eastern Christian Academy before moving on to West Virginia. The Eagles picked him in the fifth round of the 2016 draft.

And that continues to be the case even though Smallwood's role has been reduced following a knee injury early in the season and the Eagles trading for Jay Ajayi on Oct. 31.

"He was always so focused on his goal," the elder Smallwood said. "He was such a competitive kid. Football was always his thing. But he wanted to win at everything. If you threw a rock, he wanted to throw one farther."

On Sunday, Smallwood will most likely be standing on the sidelines, dressed in warmup clothes as one of seven players, not on the active roster for the game. It has been that way for Smallwood in eight of the last nine games.

Ajayi, LeGarrette Blount, and rookie Corey Clement are the three running backs used in a game. Kenjon Barner is the kickoff and punt returner. That leaves Smallwood as the odd man out, and he admitted Wednesday that it has been tough on him. 

After all, Smallwood was the Eagles' leading rusher in a Week 3 win over the Giants, with 12 carries for 71 yards. And he had 312 yards rushing as a rookie in 2016. This season, Smallwood finished with 174 yards on 47 carries.

Smallwood has spent a lot of time talking about it with running backs coach Duce Staley, a former NFL running back with the Eagles (1997-2003) and Pittsburgh Steelers (2004-06).

But Smallwood has refused to let it affect his excitement for reaching the Super Bowl, or in helping his teammates prepare for the game.

"Our running back room is probably the best on the team," Smallwood said. "We all help each other, and we all have fun with each other. When one guy does well, we all feel like we had a part in it."

He added that Staley has helped him a lot with that.

"Duce is a guy I know believes me and has the confidence in me," Smallwood said. "He checks on me every day and makes sure I’m good, not only on a personal level, but on a mental level, too. He keeps me sane, he keeps me grounded.

"Duce understands how it’s frustrating, how I can turn it around, and how it’ll make my story that much better... Being angry is definitely a good thing, and I plan to turn that into something good."

Staley has noticed that as well, and he appreciates the fact that Smallwood helps his teammates despite his diminished role.

"Guess what? I like it that way," Staley said. "I like that this bothers him. Hopefully, this motivates him to go out there and continue to work hard to get back to where he was."

That has never stopped Smallwood in the past.

Smallwood's brother, Tyliek Smallwood, who at 23 is a year younger, saw this growing up. They were competitive in everything, especially football. When Smallwood went on to star at Red Lion, Tyliek was at McKean as a defensive end.

They would push each other constantly.

"He was another type of competitive," Tyliek said. "He was extreme. He made sure nothing was going to stop him from being the best football player he could be."

Both Staley and head coach Doug Pederson said Smallwood has a future with the team. Blount, for example, turned 31 in December and is eligible for free agency after the season. Darren Sproles, on injured reserve, is 34 years old and also eligible for free agency.

That leaves Smallwood, Ajayi, Clement, rookie Donnell Pumphrey, who has been on IR all season, as those under contract for next season.

"I think it just comes down to being honest with him, being open with him," Pederson said. "He’s still a good NFL running back. Who knows what’s going to happen in the future? A week from now, when this thing’s over with, everybody is going to go their separate ways, and we have to re-evaluate again, and the process starts over.

"It’s never an easy situation for the player because they want to play, but at the same time, there’s a role for that player."

Smallwood said he appreciates that trust. His family does, too. They are happily making the trip to Minneapolis, knowing that Smallwood is living a childhood dream, one that started as an 11-year-old watching his – and their – hometown team play in the Super Bowl on TV.

"It's rare to have a local kid drafted by the hometown team playing in the Super Bowl," Wendell Sr. said. "To us, it's the best thing that happened. We saw him take his football talent to another level and follow his dream, and now we get to see it in the biggest game.

"When he puts his mind to something, he gets it done."

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.