Noel Devine facts for kids
| No. 7 | |
Devine while at West Virginia
|
|
| Born: | February 16, 1988 Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Career information | |
| CFL status | International |
| Position(s) | RB |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) |
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| College | West Virginia |
| High school | North Fort Myers (North Fort Myers, Florida) |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 2011 | Philadelphia Eagles* |
| 2011 | Omaha Nighthawks |
| 2012–2013 | Montreal Alouettes |
| 2014 | Edmonton Eskimos |
| 2019 | West Virginia Roughriders |
| *Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career stats | |
|
|
Noel Devine was born on February 16, 1988. He is a former American football player who was a talented running back. Today, he is an assistant coach at West Virginia University.
Noel Devine played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers. He set a school record for the most "all-purpose" yards in his career, with 5,761 yards. This means he gained a lot of yards from running, catching, and returning kicks.
In 2011, the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) signed Devine. He later played for several years in the Canadian Football League (CFL). In 2019, he helped the West Virginia Roughriders win the championship in the American Arena League (AAL).
Noel Devine now runs his own business called DevineSpeed, LLC. He trains young athletes to help them become faster. He was a very highly-rated player coming out of high school. In 2021, he was honored by being added to the West Virginia University (WVU) Sports Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Noel Devine grew up in Fort Myers, Florida. He went to North Fort Myers High School. This is the same high school where famous NFL players like Deion Sanders and Jevon Kearse also played.
As a freshman, Noel rushed for 627 yards. He averaged 8.6 yards every time he carried the ball. In his sophomore year, he gained 1,289 yards and scored 23 touchdowns. One amazing game saw him rush for 365 yards and six touchdowns on only nine carries. He also returned a kickoff for an 84-yard touchdown in that game.
During his junior year, Devine rushed for 1,986 yards and 24 touchdowns. He averaged an impressive 11.5 yards per carry. In his senior year, he continued to shine, totaling 2,148 yards and 31 touchdowns.
On October 20, 2006, Noel became the all-time leading rusher in Lee County history. He broke the record held by Earnest Graham. Noel finished his high school career with 92 touchdowns, which was another record for Lee County.
After high school, ESPN ranked Noel Devine as the #3 running back in the nation. Many top college teams wanted him to play for them. These included the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, University of Alabama, and Florida State University. He chose to play for West Virginia.
College Football Career
Noel Devine played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers. He was known for his incredible speed and quick moves.
Freshman Season Highlights (2007)
Noel Devine got his first chance to play in the first game of the season against Western Michigan. He showed his speed and scored his first college touchdown. He finished that game with 44 rushing yards.
In the second game, Devine helped West Virginia win against Marshall. He had 76 yards and two touchdowns on only five carries. In the third game against Maryland, he had his best game yet. He rushed for 136 yards on just five carries, averaging 27.2 yards per run. His longest run was 76 yards.
Later in the season, Devine had a big game against Connecticut. He rushed for 118 yards and scored a touchdown. This helped West Virginia win the Big East Championship.
Noel Devine finished his freshman season strong in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma. After another player got injured, Devine stepped up. He rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns. One of his touchdowns was a 65-yard run, which was the longest run in West Virginia bowl game history.
He ended his freshman year with 627 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns. He also had 1,316 all-purpose yards. This was one of the best single-season totals in school history.
Sophomore Season Highlights (2008)
Before the 2008 season, Noel Devine considered leaving West Virginia. However, he decided to stay. When the starting running back, Steve Slaton, left for the NFL, Devine became the main running back.
He started the season strong, and in a game against Syracuse, he rushed for a career-high 188 yards and a touchdown. His 92-yard touchdown run was the second-longest in school history. This performance earned him the Big East Offensive Player of the Week award.
Following that, Devine had another amazing game against Auburn. He rushed for a new career-high of 207 yards and a touchdown. In two games, he gained 395 yards and scored two touchdowns.
He continued to have strong performances, including 154 yards against Louisville. Devine finished his sophomore season with 1,289 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns. He was named a second-team All-Big East player.
Junior Season Highlights (2009)
In his junior year, Noel Devine played in 13 games and started 10 of them. He led the team in rushing with 1,465 yards. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry and scored 13 rushing touchdowns. He was the second-best rusher in his conference and 17th best in the nation.
He was chosen for the All-Big East first-team by many experts. He was also a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, which is given to the best offensive player in the country. After this successful season, Devine decided to stay at West Virginia for his senior year instead of going to the NFL draft.
Senior Season Highlights (2010)
Before his senior season, many people thought Noel Devine might be a top contender for the Heisman Trophy. He started the season well, rushing for over 100 yards in games against Coastal Carolina, Marshall, and Maryland.
However, he suffered some injuries during the season, including a turf toe injury and an ankle injury. These injuries made it harder for him to play at his best. Despite the injuries, he still reached 100 rushing yards in one more game against Syracuse.
On October 23, 2010, Devine reached a special milestone. He became the fourth player in Big East history to rush for 4,000 career yards. He joined other great players like Avon Cobourne and Pat White.
Noel Devine finished his senior season with 1,254 all-purpose yards. His injuries affected his performance, and he was not able to participate in the NFL Combine.
Career Statistics
| WVU | Rushing | Receiving | Kickoff Returns | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Games | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Lg | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Lg | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Lg | |||
| 2007 | 12 | 73 | 627 | 8.6 | 6 | 76 | 7 | 90 | 12.9 | 0 | 34 | 22 | 511 | 23.2 | 0 | 48 | |||
| 2008 | 13 | 206 | 1,289 | 6.3 | 4 | 92 | 35 | 185 | 5.3 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 63 | 21.0 | 0 | 24 | |||
| 2009 | 13 | 241 | 1,465 | 6.1 | 13 | 88 | 22 | 177 | 8.0 | 1 | 20 | 5 | 100 | 20.0 | 0 | 26 | |||
| 2010 | 13 | 208 | 934 | 4.5 | 6 | 50 | 34 | 258 | 7.6 | 1 | 48 | 4 | 62 | 15.5 | 0 | 25 | |||
| Total | 51 | 728 | 4,315 | 5.9 | 29 | 92 | 98 | 710 | 7.2 | 2 | 48 | 34 | 736 | 21.6 | 0 | 48 | |||
Professional Football Career
Even though Noel Devine had a great college career, he was not chosen in the 2011 NFL draft. This meant he was an "undrafted" player.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles signed Devine as a free agent on July 26, 2011. However, he was released just four days later.
Omaha Nighthawks
On August 18, 2011, the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League signed Noel Devine.
Montreal Alouettes
Devine then signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) on February 10, 2012. He played in six games for the Alouettes.
Edmonton Eskimos
Noel Devine later signed with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL on July 8, 2014.
Spring League
In 2017, Devine played in The Spring League, which is a football league for players looking to get noticed by other teams.
Personal Life and Mentorship
Noel Devine has a special connection with Deion Sanders, who also went to North Fort Myers High School. Sanders, a famous NFL player, has been a mentor to Devine. He helped Devine prepare to sign with a college football team.
Noel Devine has said that his idol is Barry Sanders, another legendary running back. He also mentioned that his best game in college was against Maryland.
