Devine currently owns and operates DevineSpeed, LLC, a speed training business where he trains young athletes at all levels. Devine, the highest rated recruit in Mountaineer football history, was inducted into the West Virginia University (WVU) Sports Hall of Fame on October 30, 2021.
High school career
Devine went to North Fort Myers High School, the same high school attended by NFL stars Deion Sanders and Jevon Kearse. Devine rushed for 627 yards and averaged 8.6 yards per carry as a freshman.[1] In his sophomore year, Noel had 1289 yards and 23 TDs on 206 carries, for an average of 6.3.[1][2][3] One of the most impressive games of his 10th grade year was in the 63–7 victory over Estero High. Devine rushed for 365 yards and six touchdowns on only nine carries. Devine also returned a kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown. As a junior, Devine rushed for 1,986 yards and 24 touchdowns on 173 carries, averaging 11.5 yards per carry.[1][4] In his senior year, Devine totaled 2,148 yards and 31 touchdowns.[5][6]
On October 20, 2006, Noel became the all-time leader in rushing yards for Lee County, surpassing former Mariner High School student and Tampa Bay running back Earnest Graham. Coincidentally, it was Graham's alma mater against which Devine was playing when the record was broken - he scored on a 65-yard touchdown run late in the 3rd quarter. He finished his high school career with 92 touchdowns, another Lee County record.[7]
Devine got his first chance to play in the 4th quarter of West Virginia's season opener against Western Michigan. Devine showed his speed as he beat the defense to the corner as he went 23 yards after spinning off of a defender. Devine scored his first collegiate touchdown on an 8-yard run to score WVU's final score, as the #3 ranked Mountaineers beat Western Michigan 62–24. Devine finished the game with 7 carries for 44 yards and a reception for 19 yards.
In the second game of the season, Devine helped the WVU seal a 4th quarter victory over in-state rival Marshall. Devine only had 5 carries, but managed to rack up 76 yards and 2 touchdowns to help the third-ranked Mountaineers beat the Thundering Herd 48–23. Devine also had two kickoff returns for 40 yards. His longest run of the day was 39 yards.
In the third game of the season, against Maryland, Devine had the best game of the season to that point. In the 31–14 win, Devine rushed for 136 yards on just 5 carries; a 27.2 yards average. His biggest run of the day was a 76 yards dash down the sideline to the one-yard line. On his next carry he juked out a number of defenders and spun off a facemask grab to cap off the 18-yard gain. He also had one reception for two yards and two kick returns for 47 yards. Devine took only two carries to reach 100 yards against Maryland.
In the next game against ECU, Devine had 7 rushes for 11 yards, a reception for 7 yards and a kick return for 25 yards. In the Mountaineers' first loss of the season against USF, 21–13, Devine had 4 carries for 36 yards. He also had 36 yards on two kick returns. In the 55–14 win over Syracuse, Devine was held to 13 yards on 4 carries, with 33 yards on two kick returns. Devine sat out the Mississippi State game. Against twenty-fifth-ranked Rutgers, Devine had 6 carries for 40 yards.
Against Louisville, Devine had 2 rushes for 11 yards and one reception for 4 yards. He also had 4 kick returns for 97 yards, including a 41-yarder. After the 38–31 Louisville win, rumors circulated that Devine was mad about lack of playing time and had supposedly "torn up his locker" in a fit of anger. In an article with Rivals.com, Devine dismissed the rumors saying, "If I really wanted to play I would have gone to a sorry team...I didn't expect a lot of playing time." Devine also said, "I think I have played fairly. There's people that are not playing and they're on the team and they're happy. You got a great running back ahead of you. Really, I'm not expecting a lot."[10]
In the 28–23 road win against twenty-second-ranked Cincinnati, Devine had only 23 yards on 2 carries, including a 17-yard rush. However, had four kick returns for 86 yards, averaging 21.5 yards per return. In the Big East Championship-clinching 66–21 win over twentieth-ranked Connecticut, Devine rushed for 118 yards and a score on 11 carries, which ranked second-best on the team, trailing only quarterback Pat White.
Subsequently, the then second-ranked Mountaineers were upset 13–9 by Pittsburgh in the 100th edition of the Backyard Brawl. Devine had only 11 yards on 7 carries; a 1.6 average. However, in the 4th quarter, Devine returned a kickoff 48 yards in the final minutes of the game. But, ultimately, the Mountaineers were stopped on fourth down to end the game.
Devine would finish his freshman season in West Virginia's Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma. After losing Steve Slaton to a leg injury in the first quarter, Devine filled in for WVU with 105 yards on 12 carries and 2 touchdowns, including a 65-yard run which provided the final score of the game. The run broke a West Virginia bowl record for longest rush and was the second longest play from scrimmage for the Mountaineers in the season.[citation needed] He also returned 4 kickoffs for 88 yards, a 22.0 yards average, and pulled in two receptions for 47 yards.
Devine was given honorable mention for the Freshman All-American team by various sources, including SportingNews,[11] and was awarded the team's Danny Van Etten Rookie of the Year Award by head coach Rich Rodriguez. After Rich Rodriguez left the team before the 2008 Fiesta Bowl that offseason Devine thought about transferring. He finished his freshman season with 73 carries for 627 yards and 6 touchdowns. He also added 7 receptions for 90 yards and 26 returns for 599 yards. Devine ended the season with 1,316 all-purpose yards, the 21st most in a single-season in school history.[12] Devine also finished the year ranked tenth in the Big East in rushing yards per game and #5 in the conference in kickoff return yards.[13]
Sophomore season
After former head coachRich Rodriguez left West Virginia and announced his decision to accept the head coaching job at the University of Michigan, Noel Devine considered transferring, but decided he would finish his career at West Virginia.[14] On January 14, 2008, West Virginia starting running back Steve Slaton announced his desire to enter the NFL Draft instead of returning for his senior season. Slaton's departure meant Devine would be the probable starter for the 2008 season.[15]
Devine and quarterback Pat White were named the #1 "scary star" of the 2008 by Rivals.com.[16] Shortly afterwards, the Mountaineers began their first spring practice. West Virginia running backs coach, Chris Beatty, said of Devine, “He’s as quick as he looked on television...So quick and yet he has great patience and things like that. My goal is to just let him run fast and do the things he does so well.” Devine also commented that he could handle at least 30 carries a game as the feature back, despite his size; which he said he wanted to jump up to 180 pounds.[17] Head coach Bill Stewart also said that Devine maxed out at 405 pounds at the bench press during the spring.[18]
To begin the 2008 season, Noel Devine rushed for 47 yards on 9 carries and also had 37 yards on 6 receptions in the season opening victory against the Villanova Wildcats, 48–21. In the following 24–3 loss to the ECU Pirates, Devine rushed 12 times for 94 yards (7.8 yard per carry average) and returned two kickoffs for 47 yards. In West Virginia's following 14–17 overtime loss to Colorado, Devine rushed 26 times for 133 yards and also had 11 yards on three receptions (second on the team in rushing behind quarterback Pat White).
In the 27–3 victory over Marshall, Devine rushed 14 times for 125 yards (8.9 yards per run) and his first touchdown of the season. To begin Big East play, Devine rushed 19 times for 55 yards, a 2.9 yard per carry average, in the 24–17 victory over Rutgers. In the following 17–6 victory over Syracuse, Devine rushed for 188 yards on 18 carries for a touchdown. His 188 yards was a career-high, and his 92-yard rushing touchdown in the 4th quarter not only was a career-long, but also was the second-longest rush in school and stadium history.[19] Devine's performance in the Syracuse win won him the Big East Offensive Player of the Week honors.[20] Following the 188-yard performance against Syracuse, Devine totaled a career-high 207 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries in the Mountaineers' 34–17 victory over Auburn. For the game, Devine recorded six runs of at least 20 yards. The two-game stretch totaled 395 yards and two touchdowns.
West Virginia then defeated #25 UCONN 35–13, the team's first road win of the season, in which Devine rushed 17 times for 60 yards - a 3.5 yard per rush average. However, West Virginia was then defeated by Cincinnati in a 26–23 overtime loss, as the Mountaineers rallied from being down 20–7 with under two minutes left in the game to tie it and send it to overtime. Devine, however, finished the game with 19 rushes for 58 yards and 6 receptions for 48 yards - a total of 106 yards of offense.
Devine and West Virginia bounced back in the following 35–21 victory over Louisville in their annual series. Devine posted his fifth 100-yard rushing game on the season with 154 yards on 13 carries. The performance included a 79-yard run, which was a school record for the longest non-touchdown run in school history.[21] However, the Mountaineers then lost in the Backyard Brawl to Pittsburgh 19–15. Devine carried the ball 12 times for 17 yards - a 1.4 yard per carry average - and caught 3 passes for 6 yards in the loss.
Devine finished out the regular season with 17 carries for 90 yards and 3 receptions for 21 yards - 111 total yards of offense - in the 13–7 win over South Florida, however Devine did not start as head coach Bill Stewart said he was disappointed in his performance the prior week.[22] However, Devine was named a second-team All-Big East selection following the victory.
In the Meineke Car Care Bowl victory over North Carolina, Devine rushed 13 times for 61 yards and a touchdown. He finished his sophomore season with 1,289 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Junior season
Devine played in 13 games and started 10, leading the team in rushing with 1,465 yards, averaging 6.1 yards a carry with 13 touchdowns rushing. He finished the season as the #2 rusher in the conference and #17 nationally. He was named a unanimous all-Big East first-team selection by league coaches, Phil Steele and ESPN.com, and was named one of 16 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award, signifying the top offensive player in the nation.
On January 14, 2010, Devine announced his intention to forgo the NFL draft and returned for his senior season with the Mountaineers.[23]
Senior season
Prior to the season, Devine was named a preseason All-American by numerous publications, and was considered a leading contender for the Heisman Trophy. He appeared headed for another 1,000-yard season after producing 100-yard rushing efforts in wins against Coastal Carolina, Marshall and Maryland, but a turf toe injury sustained against LSU and later an ankle injury against Louisville severely limited his production.
Devine reached the 100-yard mark just one more time against Syracuse, and finished the season with just four carries for 24 yards against Pitt, 13 carries for 31 yards against Rutgers and eight carries for 50 yards against NC State in the Champs Sports Bowl. With 122 yards rushing against the Syracuse Orange on October 23, Devine became the fourth player in Big East history to rush for 4,000 career yards, joining fellow Mountaineers Avon Cobourne and Pat White, and Rutgers' Ray Rice.
Devine finished the season with 1254 all-purpose yards; however, the injuries he suffered nagged him throughout the season, and his yards per carry average dipped considerably as a result. These injuries, combined with his lack of size and a perceived unwillingness to block, labeled him "undraftable" by many NFL teams. He was unable to participate in the NFL Combine due to his ankle injury and this further hurt his chances at being drafted.
Despite Devine's high-profile coming out of high school and subsequent successful college career, he was projected to be a seventh-round pick in the 2011 NFL draft.[26] His injuries, coupled with his inability to perform at the NFL Combine, prevented him from being drafted.[27]
Devine signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) on February 10, 2012.[31] In six games with the Alouettes, Devine fumbled six times, including a three-fumble game on August 8 during a 38–13 loss to the Toronto Argonauts. After fumbling a punt-return in the fourth quarter, he left that game with an ankle injury. In a telephone interview with the Montreal Gazette on August 9, interim head coach and general manager Jim Popp suggested Devine may be released by the team, when and if he is cleared to play by the medical staff.[32]
Devine was only three months old when his father died in 1988 of complications from AIDS,[35] and 11 years old when his mother also died of AIDS.[35] Custody passed to his maternal grandmother, but the two were not compatible. Eventually, Noel moved in with Liz and Robert Harlow Sr, parents of one of Noel's friends.[36] By his junior year in high school, Devine had fathered two children by two different women.[37] He was also witness to a shooting in late 2004, in which one of his friends, 15-year-old Rashard Patterson, was killed by a shotgun blast to the chest.[38]
Devine has a relationship with Deion Sanders, who himself is a graduate of North Fort Myers High School. At one point, Sanders planned to become Devine's legal guardian.[37] Devine moved to Prosper, Texas, where he lived with Sanders, but after a few weeks, he took Sanders' wife's vehicle to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, where a plane ticket back to Florida awaited him. Devine and Sanders remained in contact, perhaps more so as the 2007 signing day approached, when Sanders assisted Devine in preparing to sign a letter of intent to play football in the college ranks. Sanders revealed the nature of his mentor role in Devine's decisions in his column for The News-Press, a Fort Myers news outlet. He had recommended that a prep school would better prepare Devine for college.
Rasheed Malik Marshall is a former American football wide receiver. He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the 5th round of the 2005 NFL draft. He played college football for West Virginia University.
Amos L. Zereoué is a former professional American football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1999 NFL draft. He also played for the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots.
Steve Slaton is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers, earning unanimous All-American honors in 2006. He was chosen by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft. Slaton also played for the NFL's Miami Dolphins and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Patrick Christian White is an American former professional football quarterback. He played in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers and was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2009 NFL draft.
Leon Dewitt Washington Sr. is an American former professional football player who played in the National Football League (NFL) as a running back and return specialist and made 2 Pro Bowls and 2 All-Pro teams during his career. Washington holds many kick return records for both the Jets and Seattle Seahawks.
Avon Cobourne is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers from 1999 to 2002 before entering the NFL.
Ahmad Bradshaw is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd. Bradshaw was selected in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL draft by the New York Giants. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion, winning Super Bowls XLII and XLVI as a member of the Giants, defeating the New England Patriots each time. He was the leading rusher in each game, becoming one of eight running backs in NFL history to be the leading rusher in two Super Bowls.
Owen Schmitt is a former American football fullback. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He played college football at West Virginia University. Before transferring to the Mountaineers he played at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
The 2006 West Virginia Mountaineers football team completed the season with an 11–2 record. The Mountaineers had a regular season Big East record of 5–2.
The 2007 West Virginia Mountaineers football team began play on September 1, 2007. The team was coached by Rich Rodriguez until he announced on December 16, 2007, that he was leaving West Virginia to coach the Michigan Wolverines. The head coaching position remained vacant after his announcement, with assistant head coach Bill Stewart serving as interim head coach. Stewart was then named head coach on January 3, 2008, after leading the Mountaineers to victory in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl over the #3 Oklahoma Sooners. West Virginia played their home games on Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia.
The 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game. It was part of the 2007–2008 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) of the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Played annually since 1971, first at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona through 2006, the game was played at 8 p.m. EST on January 2, 2008, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The game featured the fourth ranked (BCS), Big 12 champion Oklahoma Sooners hosting the ninth ranked (BCS), Big East champion West Virginia Mountaineers. West Virginia defeated Oklahoma by a score of 48–28. The contest was televised on Fox.
The Maryland–West Virginia football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Maryland Terrapins and West Virginia Mountaineers. The two schools are strong rivals due to several factors, including similar recruiting areas and the relatively short distance between each other, approximately 210 miles (340 km) apart. The two teams first played in 1919 and the series ran uninterrupted from 1980 to 2007. West Virginia leads the series 28–23–2. The two teams met for the Gator Bowl for a rematch at the end of the 2003 season. Until the series lapsed in 2007, the game was the longest continuously running non-conference game for both schools. The two teams met again in Morgantown in 2015 and in College Park in 2021, with West Virginia and Maryland winning respectively.
The 2009 West Virginia Mountaineer football team represented West Virginia University in the college football season of 2009. The Mountaineers were led by head coach Bill Stewart and played their home games on Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Mountaineers finished the season 9–4 and lost in the Gator Bowl 33–21 to Florida State.
Jock Sanders is an American former professional gridiron football player who was a slotback and running back. He has played for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2011 before joining the BC Lions practice squad. He played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. He signed a contract extension with the Calgary Stampeders on February 4, 2015, and was released on June 14, 2015. He played college football at West Virginia.
Brandon Hogan is a former American football player. He played college football at West Virginia University. He was later drafted to the North Carolina Panthers.
Jarrett Brown is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at West Virginia, and was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent following the 2010 NFL draft. He served as the starting quarterback for the West Virginia Mountaineers at West Virginia University during the 2009 season after three seasons as the backup to Pat White. He was also a member of the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, BC Lions and Spokane Shock. In 2019, he signed with the West Virginia Roughriders.
The 2011 West Virginia Mountaineers football team represented West Virginia University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season as members of the Big East Conference. The Mountaineers were led by Dana Holgorsen, who was in his first season as head coach. West Virginia played their home games on Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia. They finished the season 10–3, 5–2 in Big East play to earn a share of the Big East Conference championship with Cincinnati and Louisville. The Mountaineers, in their final season in the Big East before moving to the Big 12 the following season, earned the league's automatic berth in the BCS due to being the highest ranked of the Big East champions in the final BCS rankings. They were invited to the Orange Bowl for the first time ever where they defeated Clemson 70–33. This was the third victory for West Virginia in three BCS games played in the BCS era, while the 70 points in the Orange Bowl set a record for most points scored in a bowl game.
Tavon Wesley Austin is an American former professional football wide receiver. He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers, receiving first-team All-American honors twice and was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft.
The 2014 West Virginia Mountaineers football team represented West Virginia University in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Playing as a member of the Big 12 Conference, the team was led by head coach Dana Holgorsen, in his fourth year. West Virginia played its home games at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia. They finished the season 7–6, 5–4 in Big 12 play to finish in a three way tie for fourth place. They were invited to the Liberty Bowl where they lost to Texas A&M.
Wendell Lynn Smallwood Jr. is a former American football running back. He played college football at West Virginia and was selected in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. Smallwood was also a member of the Washington Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
↑ Levine, Ben (April 9, 2017). "The Spring League Announces Camp Roster". profootballrumors.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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