"I had a great relationship with [Smith] before. It's just evolved from a mentor-mentee type situation to a father-son type of deal."
"He has been a mentor beyond just football, but on life and dealing wi"
Deland McCullough was hired in February 2025 to lead the Las Vegas Raiders running backs. He grew up as an adoptive child and discovered his biological parents in November 2017 while serving as USC's running backs coach; his biological parents are Carol Briggs and Sherman Smith. Sherman Smith had known McCullough since McCullough was 17, recruited him to Miami University (OH) and mentored him through his playing and coaching career. Their relationship evolved from mentor-mentee to father-son. The discovery and McCullough's rocky upbringing and search for belonging are central to his book Runs in the Family, released in June and co-written with Sarah Spain. Raiders players cite his mentorship as extending beyond football to life guidance.
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