Noel Devine: Do Second and Third Chances Pay Off?

Noel Devine is a freak athlete. The 5'8'' , 180lb RB/WR/Slot/You Tube God (thanks to a 90 yard screen pass 5 years ago in Florida), has torched the Maryland Terapins and caused East Carolina to do everything in its power to stop him on his under 10 touches. So much so that they forgot about everyone else on the field. Regardless, Devine is a freak.

But next question...

When does a football player, with all the talent in the world, break his last straw? Last season, Devine, who has fathered two children by two women, was suspended for two games because of what North Fort Myers officials called a "confrontation" at school. The school also kept him out of a postseason all-star game because of what a game official described in the Fort Myers News-Press as an "incident in the locker room." In fact, his own hometown reporter, Dan DeLuca, who covered his high school career stated, "A lot of people around here feel he's gotten breaks because he's an athlete and that once he gets up there [to West Virginia], he'll screw up and be back here, on the streets. But he has a lot of people rooting for him, too. It'll be interesting to see what happens up there."

What has happened so far is positive....

His hometown high school coach James Iandoli has said on many interviews that Devine had his issues. He also described Devine as a "fragile" situation because he didn't want "1a great talent to have a bad experience." But while most owuld said Iandoli is babying the spoiled athlete, Devine recently sent a text message to his coach thanking him for his tough love throughout his high school career. Iandoli believes Devine "regardless of any mistake... shows remorse, empathy and sympathy. To me, that means he's a quality kid. It means he cares."

Sure. We can run with that... I am sure Roger Goodell will.

Like many athletes, Devine has suffered from a tough childhood. He lost his father to complications from AIDS when he was an infant. His mother died of the same disease when he was 11. Devine has experienced various living situations, including a brief stay with fellow North Fort Myers grad and former NFL star Deion Sanders in Texas.

(brakes screeching to a halt...)

Living with Deion must suck. I mean understanding the life of an NFL star... god, the poor guy!

The AD at North Fort Myers acknowledges that some people felt Devine got preferential treatment at North Fort Myers. He denies it.

"He was treated the same as any other student," Timko said. "If he got in trouble, he got the same punishment as anyone else. He needed to understand that every action has a consequence. There isn't one person who can say they did high school perfectly. I'm sure most of us have done something where we wouldn't want other people to know, but because he was in the limelight, everyone wanted to know his business."

Not every high school athlete lives with Deion Sanders, is looking to be the next Reggie Bush, and needed 3 trys on the ACTs before he "miuraculously" found a way to score well enough to qualify for college ball.

So, will Noel Devine be the next Reggie Bush, a class act who has done plenty for the community and has yet to embarass himself. Or....


...Lawrence Philips.... Ryan Leaf.... Vick... Pac Man...

One thing is for sure. Noel Devine is a freak athlete. Let's see for how long...