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17 May 2010
They repeated that phrase to each other all the time, reminding themselves that after three years on campus, they'd both be bolting for the NFL. During the buildup to the Gator Bowl in January, the plan remained the same.
"Our mindset was to have a good bowl game, go out with a bang and rack up a bunch of yards," Sanders said. "And then we're gone."
But a funny thing happened on their way out of town. The two best friends realized they weren't quite ready to leave college and start their professional careers. Two city kids from Florida had found a home in the hills of West Virginia. Three and out turned into stay for four.
And their return -- which West Virginia coach Bill Stewart called his best recruiting coup of the offseason -- injects major hope into this year for the Mountaineers, who have more starters back (18) than any other Big East team.
"They're our two bell cows," Stewart said. "They get everything started."
Stewart awarded different colored jerseys to each player during the winter conditioning program based upon each individual's effort. A gold jersey meant the player was working at a championship level. Blue signified solid if not spectacular performance. A brown jersey -- well, you can probably figure out what brown stood for. Devine and Sanders were pure gold the entire offseason.
Those two seemed like an unlikely pair of senior leaders earlier in their career. Devine endured a difficult upbringing and faced questions about his character in high school. Sanders has landed in the doghouse a couple of times in college, including a suspension last spring and summer following a DUI arrest near campus. But both have grown up.
"It's all about trust," Stewart says. "They trust us, and we trust them. They've matured a lot. It just takes time."
Of the two, Devine's return to college registered as the bigger surprise. One of the most dynamic runners in the country, he averaged 6.1 yards per carry on his way to 1,465 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. His background also seemed to suggest that he was ready to collect an NFL paycheck. Both his parents died of AIDS before he turned 12 years old, and he has fathered three children.
Devine looked into his NFL prospects after the Gator Bowl, but in the end he said he didn't feel like he was ready to handle a professional lifestyle just yet.
