(Las Vegas, Nevada) Currently the running backs coach for the Las Vegas Raiders, Deland McCullough's life reads like a screenplay — a reminder that God knows our life story before we do. He was adopted as a baby and spent much of his life wondering about his biological roots. He had no idea who his biological parents were.
Click here to hear Coach Deland tell the story:
Then in 2017, Deland discovered that the man who had mentored him for years — the man who coached him in college and helped shape his life — was actually his biological father.
Neither man had any idea of their biological connection.
Let that sit for a minute.
His father is Sherman Smith — a former NFL player and coach, widely respected in football circles, and more importantly, a man of deep character and faith. The connection between them wasn’t just professional.
It was paternal, though neither of them had any idea for decades.
A Story You Couldn’t Make Up
Deland had always known he was adopted. But growing up in Youngstown, Ohio — a tough town that doesn’t give anyone a free pass — that knowledge didn’t come with answers. His childhood was marked by struggle, fatherlessness, and hardship. Yet football became a place of stability, a channel for his work ethic, and eventually, a doorway to bigger things.
In 2017, when laws changed to allow adoptees access to their birth records, Deland finally obtained the paperwork. He contacted his biological mother, Carol Briggs, and was stunned to learn that she lived in the same town he did. When he asked about his father, her answer left him speechless: “Your father is a man named Sherman Smith.”
It wasn’t just a familiar name — it was the name. Sherman Smith had been his college recruiter and position coach, and for over two decades, a trusted mentor and confidant.
The two had traveled the country together. Shared hotel hallways, locker room banter, late-night chats. People often joked about how much they looked alike — same voice, same build, same demeanor. Neither of them had any idea they were actually father and son.
A Father Found, A Heart Healed
For Deland, discovering Sherman was his father was more than a family reunion — it was a healing moment. After years of resentment toward absent or poor father figures, this revelation gave him the closure he hadn’t even known he was searching for.
“It made me forgive in a way I never thought I could,” Deland shares. “It helped me release that anger and finally let go of some pain I’d carried since childhood.”
Sherman’s reaction was equally moving. Shocked at first, he quickly shifted from disbelief to fatherly instinct. “I didn’t know he was out there,” Sherman later said, “but once I did, all I wanted was to show up for him.”
A DNA test confirmed what everyone already knew in their hearts: 99.9% match. But it was more than science — it was a divine appointment.
The Role of Faith
For both men, faith played a central role in the story. Deland is clear: “God’s grace and mercy carried me. There were times I made foolish choices, but He never let go of me. And now, I see how He was orchestrating this all along.”
Their story was featured in Show Me the Father, a documentary by the Kendrick Brothers (of Courageous and Fireproof fame) as well as ESPN’s E60 film Identity. And now, Deland and ESPN journalist Sarah Spain have co-written a powerful new book, Runs in the Family, which dives deep into his journey — not just the reunion, but the years of struggle that led up to it.
More Than a Football Story
What makes Runs in the Family so compelling isn’t just the “big reveal.” It’s the honest, gritty reality of a man who grew up with brokenness but chose resilience. Deland’s story is about how one's past can shape you — but doesn’t define you.
The Legacy Continues
Today, Deland is a proud father of four, a husband, and a coach who pours his heart into mentoring young men on and off the field. He’s still in the grind — still pushing forward — but with a new understanding of where he comes from and who he is.
“I used to focus on what I didn’t have,” he says. “But now I realize, I always had what I needed. God provided.”
Deland’s story is a reminder: God see you. And He’s not done yet.
Runs in the Family has an audiobook version that features narration from Deland and Sarah Spain and brings the emotional depth of his story to life in a powerful way.
Monika Kelly is a radio host for K-LOVE, a national Christian Contemporary music network. She hosts special segments and faith-based stories that resonate with listeners seeking encouragement and spiritual connection with God.