Texas is too much for Devine...He's back in Florida

[TIGER]

This is really a shame! They need to stop hyping this kid so he can get his life straightened out. He will be 18 years old in 7 months. He is an old Junior

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050809/NEWS01/50809008/1075

[dragonsdaddy]

can't imagine the turmoil in this kid's life recently. being sucked into the vortex of deion's life would be hard for anyone to survive. add to it the pressures created by the local pub and the hype it has created. he has no friends locally, which may not be a bad thing in reality, but hard none-the-less. i'm not sure we have heard the end of this situation. God works in mysterious ways and He may have some plans as deion stated.

[catman]

I believe I read that this young man also has a couple of kids in Fort Myers. I'm sure that there are quite a few forces trying to influence him.

[Texasfrog]

This is really a shame! They need to stop hyping this kid so he can get his life straightened out. He will be 18 years old in 7 months. He is an old Junior

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050809/NEWS01/50809008/1075

That's actually what I said about 2 or 3 months ago and a couple of the Clowns on here attacked me for not "honoring the kid (Devine) as a holy figure or something." Everyone should back off this kid and let him figure out what he wants to do. Honestly it's probably best the he stays in Fort Myers, Fl.

Even Sanders says it would be hard for me to open up to him again.

[Gooseisland10]

I believe the kid is really set up for failure. The actions he makes now like just "stealing" a car and not telling anyone your leaving is not something a typical person would do. He needs some discipline in life and I really think that the Deion situation was best for him, but sometimes you waste opprotunities in life like that kid. I feel bad for Deion in all of this, he gave a lot of time, energy, and love for this kid and to be stood up like this must really hurt him.

[catman]

RB Devine surprises Deion, heads back to Florida

Sanders was trying to adopt troubled player, who left without a word

11:37 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 9, 2005

By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News

Noel Devine, the troubled high school running back whom Deion Sanders was trying to adopt, left Prosper on Monday and flew back to Florida, where he is expected to return to school.

"Anytime you open your heart to someone and genuinely show them love, you're affected when something like this happens," Sanders said. "But we can release it and let it go because we honestly know that we did everything God told us to do. We're not looking back over our shoulders; we're just praying for the kid."

Devine spent last week at Baltimore Ravens training camp with Sanders and returned to Prosper, where Sanders' family lives, on Sunday. Devine is registered at Prosper High School and was expected to start practice with the Prosper football team Monday afternoon. He instead took one of Sanders' vehicles, drove to D/FW International Airport, left the keys in the car, and boarded a plane to Fort Myers.

Sanders said he was shocked, as paperwork to complete the transfer of guardianship was expected to be finished Friday.

"It hurts because he just took the keys to a car and left. He didn't say this or that, or say good-bye to anyone," Sanders said. "He packed the car with the school clothes and stuff we had bought him and left. We don't care about the clothes and stuff, it's the principle. That's what hurts."

Devine, 17, who will be a junior this year, ran into trouble as a sophomore at North Fort Myers High School when his girlfriend had a baby and a good friend died from a gunshot wound as the result of an altercation that involved Devine, the friend and a third party.

One of the school's staff called Sanders, a graduate of North Fort Myers, to provide counseling. Sanders so liked Devine he made plans to adopt him and bring him to Prosper, where he would live and play football at Prosper High School.

This became a big story not only because of Sanders' presence, but also because Devine is one of the best running backs in Florida, having rushed for 2,773 yards and 34 touchdowns in two seasons of high school play.

Devine's parents are both dead, and he was living part-time with his grandmother and part-time with a friend's parents – Robert and Liz Harlow. While Devine's grandmother, Lee Thomas, has guardianship and was attempting to transfer that guardianship to Sanders, the Harlows made attempts to stop the process. A Florida judge said last week the guardianship case needed to be determined in Texas, and Devine left Florida to go to training camp with Sanders. Devine has spent time in Prosper throughout the summer and recently visited with some of the players and coaches, according to Prosper coach John Pease.

"He was a good kid and seemed to be hitting it off," Pease said. "What we would like is for him to make a decision that's best for him. If he wants to stay in Florida, and that makes him happy, we're fine with that."

Still, the manner in which Devine made his escape was troubling to those he left behind in Texas.

"He violated the trust we gave him," Sanders said. "I have five kids. I can't allow my home to be infected with that type of stuff, because sooner or later it's going to be affected with it."

[NMHS fan]

He knows he'll get more yds in Florida. :D

Good luck to the kid - I hope he made the right decision.

[grayowl60]

can't imagine the turmoil in this kid's life recently. being sucked into the vortex of deion's life would be hard for anyone to survive. add to it the pressures created by the local pub and the hype it has created. he has no friends locally, which may not be a bad thing in reality, but hard none-the-less. i'm not sure we have heard the end of this situation. God works in mysterious ways and He may have some plans as deion stated.
Just from what I have observed, being around Deion for one hour would make anybody want to get on a plane. Just afew years ago GOD told him not to pay for car repairs he had done. Creep!

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

He'll be back in Texas soon. Soon as he realizes the bad choice he just made.

[TheDuke]

Feel bad for the kid! No adult help, has a kid, taking cars and clothes that he got, he is all messed up in the head. I have a feeling we are gonna here alot of stories through the years about this kid. Funny thing is, if he didn't play Football, or even be a RB we wouldn't even know who this kid was! There are kids all over the world even just in the US that have gone through what he has. Deion is a weird guy, but he did try and help the kid, so that I can't take away from him. I think Deion would have had his hands full with 5 kids plus a kid who has a kid and has had a tough and bumpy road at 17.

[aclb]

The crazy thing is next year he will have Miami, Florida and Florida State fighting for him. Sign of the times.

[jrdaniel]

Just saw this on another board concerning Devine. How does a 17 year old kid drive to an airport, buy a ticket, and fly home in a post 9-11 world? Something smells.

[Texasfrog]

He'll be back in Texas soon. Soon as he realizes the bad choice he just made.

I'm not sure Deion will take him back. :confused:

[relraiderfan]

The speculation is that the ticket was already bought, my guess by another party. I hate to be skeptical, but my original thought was concerning the Harlow family and their influence on him, and then to read that they had been fighting the guardianship change really troubles me. I sure hope they wanted this kid to be with them for the right reasons and not the hype and money this kid could someday bring. In today's society it just makes you wonder. The poor kid could be being pulled from people that he trusts, that maybe shouldnt be trusted at all.

[CCHS77]

Just saw this on another board concerning Devine. How does a 17 year old kid drive to an airport, buy a ticket, and fly home in a post 9-11 world? Something smells.

As long as he had a goverment issued, pictured ID and the money to buy a ticket, I'm not aware of any reason that any airline wouldn't sell him a ticket. (Although, in this case, maybe the ticket was already purchased) He (like anyone one else) would recieve some "special" screening when he reached TSA's checkpoint. (Last minute travel, one-way tickets and bought with cash will do that for anyone!) But as long as he wasn't carring anything prohibited, he would be allowed to fly.

[RPM]

The speculation is that the ticket was already bought, my guess by another party. I hate to be skeptical, but my original thought was concerning the Harlow family and their influence on him, and then to read that they had been fighting the guardianship change really troubles me. I sure hope they wanted this kid to be with them for the right reasons and not the hype and money this kid could someday bring. In today's society it just makes you wonder. The poor kid could be being pulled from people that he trusts, that maybe shouldnt be trusted at all.


that what i was thinking...fighting over the guardianship smells fishy..

[TheDuke]

that what i was thinking...fighting over the guardianship smells fishy..

Ya, didn't really think of that. In this world of greed that wouldn't surprise me!!

[catman]

A very interesting and insightful article. I had suspected from the start that his girlfriend and children weighed heavily in his decision to return to FLA. I hope everything works out for the best for him.



Changing direction: Devine's road uncertain
Devine was to live with Sanders, play for Prosper - then, suddenly, he left
11:13 PM CDT on Saturday, August 13, 2005
By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News

The area surrounding Fort Myers, Fla., isn't that different from North Texas.
You can move very quickly from the suburban sprawl of subdivisions and strip malls into open fields and patches of forest. And if you take the wrong turn, you can get lost pretty fast.
The folks who care about Noel Devine hope he hasn't taken a wrong turn.

A standout running back who has had a life full of difficult decisions, Devine agreed early this summer to be adopted by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Deion Sanders and move to Sanders' home in Prosper. Devine reversed his decision last Monday, when he fled Sanders' home and flew back to Florida. It was a shocking twist in a bizarre tale that has held two communities breathless for the last two months.

"I believe Noel has looked at what's important and decided he needs to be in Florida," said family friend Lavae Ford, who has provided legal advice in the past for Devine. "I think from the standpoint of where he's comfortable and where he's needed, that's what has driven his decision."

Devine, 17, has one child with his girlfriend and another is on the way. Ford said the feeling of responsibility of raising those children could have swayed Devine's decision. Then again, those who were hoping Devine would leave Fort Myers to spend the next two years with Sanders cited the two pregnancies as reason he needed a different support group.

In one of his only media interviews during the last two months, Devine told the News-Press of Southwest Florida, "I need to get away from all of the negative stuff out here."

Not an easy life

Devine's life has been difficult. He never knew his father, and his mother died after a long illness when he was 12. He has lived much of his life with his maternal grandmother, Lee Thomas, but recently has lived at the home of a friend's parents, Robert and Liz Harlow.

Devine earned some celebrity in Fort Myers when he became a Pop Warner football legend at age 10. Since then, people have said he could be the next Deion Sanders, a Fort Myers product destined to play pro football.

"He's just been a very special football player since he stepped on the field," said Keith White, the unit director of the Shady Oak Boys and Girls Club of Lee County where Devine hung out while he was growing up. "He just felt that every time he touched the ball, he was going to score."

Devine, a junior, rushed for 2,773 yards in his first two high school seasons, averaging 146 yards per game and 10.5 yards per carry for North Fort Myers High School. The Sporting News has named him one of the top 10 underclassmen football players in the nation.

But while Devine's football future continues to shine, his life off the field has become cloudy. In addition to the two pregnancies by his girlfriend, Devine witnessed the death of one of his good friends. On Dec. 30, Devine and some friends headed to the home of Clyde Robinson Jr., to allegedly stop Robinson from harassing Devine's friend, Rashard Patterson. Robinson stepped out of his house, according to police reports, shot Patterson in the stomach and ran. Patterson died that day, and Robinson awaits trial on a charge of second-degree murder.

Deion takes an interest

Not long after the incident, a school official contacted Sanders in hopes that the 1985 graduate of North Fort Myers could provide some guidance. After Sanders took some time and got to know Devine, he decided the best decision would be to adopt Devine and move him to Prosper, where Sanders has a 30,000-square-foot home on 84 acres.

Devine and his grandmother agreed, and the process began. Devine visited Prosper throughout the summer and attended Ravens training camp with Sanders two weeks ago. However, Devine's departure from Florida hit a few snags.

First, when Sanders tried to assume legal guardianship from Lee Thomas, a Florida court ruled the decision had to be made in Texas. Then, when Sanders flew to Florida to pick up Devine on July 28 to take him to Texas, the parent of one of Devine's friends called 911 and reported a possible kidnapping. Police investigated the call and decided Devine was traveling willingly with Sanders.

The two spent a short time in Texas, then flew to Ravens camp. Devine then returned to Texas and spent last Sunday with some of his new Prosper High School teammates.

"He seemed really excited and happy to be here," Prosper quarterback Kevin Schupp said.

But on Monday, when he was supposed to be attending his first day of practice at Prosper, Devine took one of Sanders' vehicles, drove to D/FW airport, left the keys in the car and flew back to Fort Myers. He enrolled at North Fort Myers on Tuesday and started classes and football practice Wednesday. Devine is not speaking to the media, and North Fort Myers officials also have declined interview requests.

But friends say that while Devine does have negative influences in Florida, he also has a strong support group.

Back to Florida

"There are plenty of people here to help Noel, but he hasn't always listened or let those people help," said Devine's cousin, LeDondrick Rowe, who also works at the Boys and Girls Club and has been a sort of personal trainer to Devine.

"What he needs is some discipline and structure," Rowe said. "Too often, he just skips a workout because he doesn't feel like it. He has to realize he's been given a gift, but that it takes real work to get the most out of that gift."

Rowe said he felt Sanders would provide that discipline.

"I think seeing the world of a professional athlete would be great for him, because it is a job," Rowe said. "If that's truly what he wants out of life, he needs to realize that's a job where you have to show up for work, and you have to be on time, and you have to dedicate yourself to getting better or it's not going to work out for you."

It's not clear whether Devine will live with his grandmother or with the Harlows. However, in a recent article in the News-Press, Thomas said that because Devine will turn 18 on Feb. 16, she has only so much control over his life. What those around him hope is that Devine himself will take control.

"I think his decision to return is a mature one, because he is aware of his responsibilities and he's willing to address those responsibilities," Lavae Ford said. "He understands the advantages of both places, and he's decided Florida will be better for him."

E-mail mheika@dallasnews.com

PLENTY OF PROMISE
The Sporting News' list of the top 25 underclassmen football recruits ranked Noel Devine seventh in the nation. Had Devine remained at Prosper, Texas would have had four of the top nine players. The list:
Player Pos. Hometown
1. Jimmy Clausen QB Westlake Village, Calif.
2. Ryan Mallet QB Texarkana, Texas
3. Arrelious Benn WR Washington D.C.
4. Ben Martin DE Cincinnati, Ohio
5. Domonic Glover DE Mission Viejo, Calif.
6. Bradley Stephens RB McAllen, Texas
7. Noel Devine RB North Fort Myers, Fla.
8. Armando Allen RB Hialeah, Fla.
9. Richetti Jones DE Lincoln High School
10. Marc Tyler LB Westlake Village, Calif.

STELLAR SEASON
In his sophomore season at North Fort Myers High School, Noel Devine had 1,667 yards and 23 TDs on 143 carries, averaging 185.3 yards per game and 11.7 yards per carry. Devine's statistics:
Date Opp. Att-Yds Result
Sept. 10 Dunbar 18-198 L, 26-18
Sept. 17 Mariner 11-205 W, 27-0
Sept. 23 Riverdale 9-365 W, 42-22
Oct. 1 Estero 4-105 W, 63-7
Oct. 8 Charlotte 10-43 L, 28-6
Oct. 14 Cypress Lake 15-154 W, 26-6
Oct. 22 Fort Myers 25-234 L, 20-13
Oct. 29 Lehigh 30-168 L, 16-14
Nov. 5 Cape Coral 21-195 W, 51-27

[dentonRYAN]

I feel bad for the Prosper football players.... on Sunday they were in high hopes and thought they would have a great running back on there team...and by Monday all their hopes were gone.... hope they do well with out the Devine kid....

[TIGER]

What is the age limit in playing high school sports? Is it 18? and by what date? Will Devine be able to play next year seeing he will be 19 years old?

[Texasfrog]

What is the age limit in playing high school sports? Is it 18? and by what date? Will Devine be able to play next year seeing he will be 19 years old?

I think if you turn 19 before the school year starts you cannot play. I know the cut off is somewhere around Sept each year for 19.