DEVINE CHOICE: Jarrett Brown stayed at WVU for chance to play with Noel Devine
Jarrett Brown was prepared to transfer out of West Virginia. Convinced he couldn’t oust Pat White as Mountaineers’ starting quarterback after the 2006 season, Brown, then a sophomore, believed his best chance to play would come at another university.
But Brown couldn’t commit to the move. The possibility of playing alongside Noel Devine, an incoming 5-foot-8, 175-pound freshman running back with explosive speed, was simply too great for the aspiring starter to pass up.
‘Noel is one of the main reasons why I stayed here because everybody kept asking me and pushing me to transfer,’ said Brown, a fifth-senior year. ‘I knew that when I played, I would have this guy in the backfield with me. He’s electrifying, because anytime he touches the ball, there’s a possibility that he could break for the distance.’
Three years later, Devine hasn’t disappointed. In his second full season as a starter, the junior has emerged as the key cog in the Mountaineer offense, rushing for 540 yards and six touchdowns through four games.
Devine hopes to lead West Virginia (3-1) to its first Big East victory of the season against Syracuse (2-3) Saturday in the Carrier Dome (Noon, TW 26).
The most impressive aspect of Devine’s exploits, though, is that he’s sustained his success despite the departure of White, currently the second-string quarterback for the Miami Dolphins.
With Brown still adjusting to his role as a first-year starter at quarterback, Devine has been forced to shoulder the bulk of the offensive load, while also dealing with heightened attention by opposing defenses.
‘It really opened up a lot of space for me when (defenses) keyed on Pat,’ Devine said. ‘It was hard for some teams to game-plan to stop a quarterback and a running back that could run because they didn’t know if he’d pull the ball to throw, run it or give it to me.’
This isn’t the first time Devine has dealt with the departure of a key offensive leader: Following the 2007 season, Mountaineer running back Steve Slaton bypassed his senior season and entered the NFL Draft, essentially opening the door for Devine to flourish as the feature back.
He seamlessly filled Slaton’s shoes in his first season as a starter, rushing for 1,289 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games. But Devine said replacing White, two-time Big East Offensive Player of the Year, this season has proven to be a more challenging undertaking.
‘With Steve leaving, I just tried to make the best of the situation in my first year as a starter,’ Devine said. ‘But when Pat left, it was just more like I got to step up and do big things for my team now because he was a great leader.’
West Virginia head coach Bill Stewart also sees that leadership potential in Devine. Since Slaton, now a running back for the Houston Texans, and White bolted for the NFL, the second-year coach has progressively noticed Devine’s ability to lead by example on the field.
‘I’m just the fortunate one to happen to be his football coach because I don’t have to say a word to him,’ Stewart said. ‘In team situations, he wins every sprint. In leadership skills, he pushes himself and others in practice. In tough situations, he wants the ball.’
That wasn’t anymore evident than it was last Thursday night, when West Virginia played Colorado on national television.
Following a sluggish, first half in which the Mountaineers only boasted a four-point lead against the underachieving Buffaloes, Stewart said he ripped his team at halftime for the lethargic performance.
But instead of dwelling on the frustration, Devine, who characterizes himself as a quiet person, took initiative as a leader and responded to Stewart’s tirade in an unusual manner.
‘He stood up to me and told me, ‘Coach, give me the rock and stay calm,” Stewart said. ‘I said ‘OK, Big Fella, I’m going to put the ball in your hands when the time’s right’. That’s something a coach can’t teach because it has to come from within.’
Devine made good on his promise to Stewart, rushing for a career-high 220 yards, including 52 yards on a decisive, fourth-quarter drive, and a touchdown to propel West Virginia to a 35-24 victory.
‘I was impressed, but I’m not really surprised he had a game like that but just wondered when it was going to come,’ Brown said. ‘He’s got a huge heart. He runs as hard as anybody. He’s as fast anybody, and he’s so strong which makes him hard to bring down.’
For Devine, however, the Colorado game was merely the latest chapter of a journey of overcoming the odds. From the beginning of his football career, he’s always encountered doubters who have consistently criticized his playmaking ability because of his small stature.
As White and Slaton’s careers escalated into the NFL, so did the criticism of Devine in West Virginia. With both his counterparts gone, he has received even more questions surrounding his durability as the Mountaineers’ feature back.
‘I definitely play with a chip on my shoulder,’ Devine said. ‘But I play to the best of my abilities that God has given me, so I can prove people wrong. The sky’s the limit.’
That promising potential is the reason why Brown is still a Mountaineer after four years as White’s understudy. And for the fifth-year senior, Devine’s intervention has been worth the wait.
‘The running game always helps out the passing game,’ Brown said. ‘It’s like (Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett) Favre and (running back Adrian) Peterson because they feed off each other. So on play-action, you better respect (Devine), because if he gets the ball, he’s going to leave you.’
