panther power
06-17-2005, 12:20 PM
2A Prosper may pick up top RB
June 11, 2005 -- Prosper's Deion Sanders has contributed financially to the local Eagles' athletic program, and now he may make a difference on the field - by adopting a promising running back from a Florida High School who has a troubled background.
The 37-year old Sanders is in the process of adopting 17-year old Noel Devine, a standout 5-8, 170-pounder from Sanders' former high school, North Fort Myers, which also produced Jevon Kearse. Devine will be a junior this fall.
(For a comprehensive week-by-week list of automatic qualifiers and a week-by-week 7-on-7 schedule of SQTs, please click to http://texasfootball.com/7on7_schedule.html.
According to reports, Devine never knew his biological father and his mother died from an illness in 2000. He used to live with his grandmother (Bert Lee) but has been residing with friend Robert Harlow for the last three years, Devine's cousin LeDondrick Rowe said. A former principal at North Fort Myers contacted Sanders two years ago and made the plea for Sanders to consider rescuing Devine.
"(Sanders) wants to be there for me and get me away from all this negative stuff," Devine said. "He wants to show me the right way, to show me things I haven't seen yet."
(For the very latest free recruiting news and our latest on the commitments in the Class of 2006, including the state's top two QBs pledging out-of-state colleges during the month of May, please click to http://texasfootball.com/05blue_0207.html.)
If the University Interscholastic League approves Devine's application for a hardship waiver of the athletic parent residence rule, Devine will suit up for 2A Proper and coach John Pease this fall. Devine has sub 4.4 speed and already benches nearly 350 pounds.
(For our exclusive top 20 games to watch during the 2005 high school football season, please click to http://texasfootball.com/05high_0608.html.)
Last fall, Devine (1,105 yards and 11 TDs on 121 carries as a freshman) rushed for 365 yards and six TDs on only nine carries in a 42-22 victory over Fort Myers Riverdale HS. He scored on runs of 14, 59, 28, 68, 90 and 66 yards and tallied 249 yards in the third period. Devine was pulled in third quarter and finished 11 yards shy of a county record of 376 yards set in 1996 by former Cape Coral Mariner and Florida Gator star Earnest Graham.
"My wife would tell you all through our life together that I've talked about adopting a child and giving a kid a chance who otherwise wouldn't have one," Sanders told The Dallas Morning News. "It's about giving someone an opportunity to have a chance in life."
In addition to working through legal hurdles in Fort Myers on Friday, Sanders also announced at City Halls in Fort Myers a financial pledge and plan to improve local neighborhoods and to build affordable housing in the city.
Devine is regarded as one of Florida's top sophomore running backs, along with Lakeland's Chris Rainey and Jevon Pugh from Naples.
June 11, 2005 -- Prosper's Deion Sanders has contributed financially to the local Eagles' athletic program, and now he may make a difference on the field - by adopting a promising running back from a Florida High School who has a troubled background.
The 37-year old Sanders is in the process of adopting 17-year old Noel Devine, a standout 5-8, 170-pounder from Sanders' former high school, North Fort Myers, which also produced Jevon Kearse. Devine will be a junior this fall.
(For a comprehensive week-by-week list of automatic qualifiers and a week-by-week 7-on-7 schedule of SQTs, please click to http://texasfootball.com/7on7_schedule.html.
According to reports, Devine never knew his biological father and his mother died from an illness in 2000. He used to live with his grandmother (Bert Lee) but has been residing with friend Robert Harlow for the last three years, Devine's cousin LeDondrick Rowe said. A former principal at North Fort Myers contacted Sanders two years ago and made the plea for Sanders to consider rescuing Devine.
"(Sanders) wants to be there for me and get me away from all this negative stuff," Devine said. "He wants to show me the right way, to show me things I haven't seen yet."
(For the very latest free recruiting news and our latest on the commitments in the Class of 2006, including the state's top two QBs pledging out-of-state colleges during the month of May, please click to http://texasfootball.com/05blue_0207.html.)
If the University Interscholastic League approves Devine's application for a hardship waiver of the athletic parent residence rule, Devine will suit up for 2A Proper and coach John Pease this fall. Devine has sub 4.4 speed and already benches nearly 350 pounds.
(For our exclusive top 20 games to watch during the 2005 high school football season, please click to http://texasfootball.com/05high_0608.html.)
Last fall, Devine (1,105 yards and 11 TDs on 121 carries as a freshman) rushed for 365 yards and six TDs on only nine carries in a 42-22 victory over Fort Myers Riverdale HS. He scored on runs of 14, 59, 28, 68, 90 and 66 yards and tallied 249 yards in the third period. Devine was pulled in third quarter and finished 11 yards shy of a county record of 376 yards set in 1996 by former Cape Coral Mariner and Florida Gator star Earnest Graham.
"My wife would tell you all through our life together that I've talked about adopting a child and giving a kid a chance who otherwise wouldn't have one," Sanders told The Dallas Morning News. "It's about giving someone an opportunity to have a chance in life."
In addition to working through legal hurdles in Fort Myers on Friday, Sanders also announced at City Halls in Fort Myers a financial pledge and plan to improve local neighborhoods and to build affordable housing in the city.
Devine is regarded as one of Florida's top sophomore running backs, along with Lakeland's Chris Rainey and Jevon Pugh from Naples.