Noel Devine facts for kids
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Devine while at West Virginia
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| Born: | February 16, 1988 Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. |
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| 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 | |
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| Career stats | |
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Noel Devine (born February 16, 1988) is a former American football player. He was a talented running back. Noel played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers. He holds a record for the most all-purpose yards in his college career. This means he gained a lot of yards from running, catching, and returning kicks.
Noel Devine signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011. This was an NFL team. He joined them even though he wasn't picked in the draft. Later, he played for several years in the Canadian Football League (CFL). In 2019, he helped the West Virginia Roughriders win a championship.
Today, Devine runs his own business called DevineSpeed, LLC. He trains young athletes to become faster. In 2021, he was added to the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame. This is a big honor for his college achievements.
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High School Football Career
Noel Devine went to North Fort Myers High School. Famous NFL players like Deion Sanders also went there. As a freshman, Noel ran 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. He did this on only nine tries! He also returned a kickoff for an 84-yard touchdown.
As a junior, Devine rushed for 1,986 yards and 24 touchdowns. He averaged 11.5 yards per carry. In his senior year, he had 2,148 yards and 31 touchdowns.
On October 20, 2006, Noel became the all-time leading rusher in Lee County history. He passed Earnest Graham's record. He finished his high school career with 92 touchdowns. This was another record for Lee County.
Noel was ranked as the #3 running back in the nation by ESPN. Top colleges like University of Nebraska, University of Alabama, and Florida State University wanted him to play for them.
College Football Career
Noel Devine played for the West Virginia Mountaineers. He made a big impact during his time there.
Freshman Season (2007)
Devine first played in the season opener against Western Michigan. He showed his speed right away. He scored his first college touchdown with an 8-yard run. He finished the game with 44 rushing yards.
In the second game, he helped West Virginia win against Marshall. He had 76 yards and two touchdowns on only five carries. Against Maryland, he rushed for 136 yards on just five carries. This was his best game yet.
Devine finished his freshman year in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma. He stepped up when another player got injured. Noel rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns. One touchdown was a 65-yard run. This run set a new West Virginia bowl record.
He ended his freshman season with 627 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He also had 599 kickoff return yards. He was recognized as a Freshman All-American.
Sophomore Season (2008)
Before this season, Noel Devine thought about leaving West Virginia. But he decided to stay. The starting running back, Steve Slaton, left for the NFL. This meant Devine would likely be the main running back.
Coaches praised Devine's speed and patience. He said he could handle many carries despite his size. He even bench pressed 405 pounds!
Devine had a strong sophomore year. He rushed for 94 yards against East Carolina. He gained 133 yards against Colorado. Against Marshall, he rushed for 125 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season.
His best game was 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. He then gained 207 yards against Auburn. This two-game stretch was incredible.
Devine finished his sophomore season with 1,289 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He was named a second-team All-Big East player.
Junior Season (2009)
In his junior year, Devine played in 13 games. He led the team with 1,465 rushing yards. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry and scored 13 rushing touchdowns. He was the second-best rusher in his conference.
He was chosen for the All-Big East first-team. He was also a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award. This award goes to the top offensive player in the nation. After this great season, Devine decided to stay for his senior year.
Senior Season (2010)
Many people thought Devine would be a top player for the Heisman Trophy. He started strong with 100-yard rushing games. But injuries slowed him down. He hurt his toe and then his ankle.
Despite injuries, he reached a big milestone. He became the fourth player in Big East history to rush for 4,000 career yards. He joined other Mountaineer greats like Avon Cobourne and Pat White.
Devine finished his senior season with 1,254 all-purpose yards. His injuries made it harder for him to perform at his best.
Career Statistics
| WVU | Rushing | Receiving | Kickoff Returns | ||||||||||||||||
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| 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 | 1289 | 6.3 | 4 | 92 | 35 | 185 | 5.3 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 63 | 21.0 | 0 | 24 | |||
| 2009 | 13 | 241 | 1465 | 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 | 4315 | 5.9 | 29 | 92 | 98 | 710 | 7.2 | 2 | 48 | 34 | 736 | 21.6 | 0 | 48 | |||
Professional Career
Noel Devine was a highly-rated player in college. But he was not chosen in the 2011 NFL draft.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles signed Devine as a free agent in July 2011. He left the team a few days later.
Omaha Nighthawks
The Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League signed Devine in August 2011.
Montreal Alouettes
Devine signed with the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 2012. He played in six games for them. He had some trouble holding onto the ball. He left one game due to an ankle injury.
Edmonton Eskimos
Devine later signed with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL in July 2014.
Spring League
Devine also played in The Spring League in 2017. This league helps players get noticed by other teams.
Personal Life
Noel Devine faced many challenges growing up. His father passed away when Noel was very young. His mother also passed away when he was 11. He then lived with his grandmother. Later, he moved in with the family of a friend.
Noel has a special connection with Deion Sanders. Sanders is a famous NFL star who went to the same high school. Sanders helped mentor Devine. He gave him advice about preparing for college football.
Devine was featured in ESPN The Magazine. They picked him as a nominee for their "NEXT Athlete" edition. In the interview, Devine said his idol was Barry Sanders.
Images for kids
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Devine while at West Virginia
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Noel Devine (right) and Jock Sanders (9) on the sideline
