Noel Devine Heisman Theory: Coincidence or Fate?

Now I'm not one to believe in destiny, fate, and all that fairy tale nonsense, but when I thought about this, I just had to share it.

First off, if you didn't know anything about Noel Devine before, I'm pretty sure you know now. He was one of the most sought after high school football players entering college and caused a stir with a series of highlight tapes that showcased him juking and jiving defenders left and right. 

Devine chose to attend college at West Virginia University to play football. It didn't take long for him to dazzle audiences with the same moves they'd seen on those high school tapes.

Devine finished off his freshman year with mind-boggling, beard-stroking, and jaw-dropping stats: 73 carries for 627 yards with a 8.6 YPC average. Now what does that mean?

It means that every time he touched the ball, he made the most of it, coming close to or obtaining a first down, which is really important if you want to win a football game.

But back to what it was that I wanted to share. Check out this theory:

The Noel Devine "HE IS MAN" Theory

Who is Noel Devine always compared to? Barry Sanders. Like I said before, I don't believe in fate (or ghosts), but when comparing Devine to Sanders, it goes beyond the physical attributes.

Sure they're both 5'8", elusive, and possess unbelievable balance and quickness, but they have other things in common.    

Now Sanders won the Heisman back in 1988 when he was with Oklahoma State. Devine was born that same year. Sanders was 20 years old when he won the trophy. It's been exactly 20 years since then.

Devine is 20 years old now. Sanders wore number 20 in the pros. They are 20 years apart in age.

Is it a coincidence, or is it fate? Just something to think about. Does this mean that he is going to win the Heisman? He has a chance, but it's a slim one. The reason why is because West Virginia is Pat White's team and it's White's last season as a Mountaineer.

However, I truly believe that he can win the Heisman this year. Yea I know, Tim Tebow this and Tim Tebow that. But Tebow has to share the ball with Harvin, Rainey, Moody, and all those playmakers.

I really think Devine can win the Heisman this year, and I think he is the best back in the nation. 

"But he's not even the best back in the Big East." "He's too small." "Can he carry the load?" "He gets caught from behind (Maryland game)."

I know it's way too early to make a bold statement like this (haha, bold statement, look it truly is bold), but trust me, after this season people will understand what I'm talking about. That's just how I feel.