Noel Devine

Noel Devine

Noel Devine (born February 16 1988) is an American college football running back for the West Virginia Mountaineers. He was a former blue chip prospect and holds many high school rushing records.

High school career

Devine attended North Fort Myers High School, the same high school that NFL stars Deion Sanders and Jevon Kearse attended.

Devine rushed for 1,092 yards and averaged 9 yards per carry as a freshman and in his sophomore season Noel had 1,667 yards and 23 TDs on 143 carries for an 11.7 average per carry. As a junior, Devine rushed for 1,933 yards and 24 touchdowns on 173 carries 11.5 yards per carry. In his senior year, Devine totaled 2,735 yards and 47 touchdowns. In the U.S. Army All-American game, he took a kickoff back 88 yards before catching his foot on the turf and falling short of the end zone.

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. Ironically, it was Graham's alma mater that North was playing against when Noel surpassed him, with a 65 yard touchdown run late in the 3rd quarter. Devine also holds the Lee County all-time rushing record with a career total of 7,002 yards. He finished his high school career with 87 touchdowns, another Lee County record.

Personal Life

Both of Devine's parents are deceased: his father passing away in 1988 when he was one year old, and his mother before he was twelve. Devine himself is the father of two children by two different women.

Relationship with Deion Sanders

Noel has a special relationship with Deion Sanders, who himself is a former graduate of North Fort Myers High School. At one point, Sanders planned to become Noel's legal guardian. Devine moved to Prosper, Texas, where he lived with Sanders, but after a few weeks, he returned to North Fort Myers. Devine and Sanders are still in contact with each other, perhaps more so as the 2007 signing day approached, when Sanders assisted Noel in preparing to sign a letter of intent and play football in the college ranks. Deion Sanders revealed his mentor role in Devine's decision in his column for The News-Press, a Fort Myers news outlet.He recommended to Devine that a prep school would help better prepare him for college.

Useful Links

Noel Devine Archive"