A professional football player has been cut from his team for asking for pizza.
Former Pittsburgh Maulers running back De’Veon Smith was able to get the moment he was let go from his United States Football League team broadcast in the league’s documentary.
Bro got cut by a USFL team for ordering pizza instead of a chicken salad??? lmaoooo pic.twitter.com/Vo7n7HD0PU
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) April 18, 2022
In the clip, with now over five million views on Twitter, Smith was called in to meet with coach Kirby Wilson.
“Well, he crossed the line,” Wilson said in the clip.
Allegedly, Smith went into the team cafeteria, where chicken salad was being served. Smith didn’t want chicken salad, and saw another employee walk in with pizza. When Smith asked for pizza from said employee and got denied, the employee asked him if it was going to be a problem. Smith responded “yes.”
The franchise interpreted Smith’s interaction with the employee as disrespect, violating a team rule, which led to the running back getting cut.
After the documentary aired and the clip went viral, Smith took to Twitter to defend his name. “I said nothing disrespectful or did anything disrespectful,” he tweeted.
Pittsburgh then released an official statement claiming Smith broke three team rules in a 24-hour span, topped off with disrespecting a cafeteria worker. Smith denied the team’s latest claims.
“What rules did I break?” Smith tweeted. “Now you’re lying on my name????? Say less.”
The running back said he spoke to his old coach after being cut, and said the coach told him he’d vouch for his character in the future if needed.
