For Za'Darius Smith, the Atlanta Falcons' home opener was about more than football. The defensive end arranged for members of his late mother's church to travel from Greenville, Alabama, to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the September 20 game against the Carolina Panthers. He paid for a Greyhound bus, game tickets, custom T-shirts and food, and prepared gift envelopes for the guests. Smith had planned for 45 people; the Falcons reported that 43 made the trip.
The church was Harrison Street Baptist, where Smith's mother, Sharon, had overseen the youth department. Her sister Wanda recalled that Sharon sometimes picked up Sunday school children herself to make sure they could attend. It was a place woven into the Smith family's life, from Sunday school and church plays to meals shared after services. Bringing that congregation to see her son play fulfilled a wish Sharon had held for years.
Smith's road to that first Falcons home game had been painful. While playing for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025, he learned from his mother's doctor that she did not have long to live and stepped away from football to be with her. Sharon died in February 2026. Smith has also spoken about losing his grandmother and father. When he returned to the NFL, joining Atlanta carried a personal meaning: Sharon had wanted him to play for the Falcons so the people back home could more easily come and support him.
Among those who traveled to Atlanta were Smith's aunt Wanda and his older brother Stephano. Stephano brought a sign bearing images of Sharon and their grandmother, JoAnne. The three-hour bus ride was far easier for the family than some of the much longer trips they had made to watch Smith play for other teams. This time, they arrived together-with the church community that had known him long before his NFL career.
There was joy in seeing Smith run onto the field, but also the unmistakable absence of the woman who had hoped for that day. Wanda said Sharon would have loved seeing the church there. Smith could not share the game with his mother in person; he could share it with the people she loved. In a stadium filled with Falcons fans, he gave Harrison Street Baptist a Sunday they could remember together-and gave Sharon's wish a place in his return to football.
