PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It’s not often a player transfers to a school without visiting, but this isn’t a normal situation.
MJ Devonshire knows Pitt, but after considering the Panthers out of Aliquippa. Devonshire decided to go to Kentucky.
“First time around I was a kid,” Devonshire said. “I was young. I really wasn’t sure what I was looking for. I was just going into it like it was a video game, a fairy tale. Being older and more mature you are able to make a decision that fits you and knowing what you are looking for in a school outside of football and how you are going to live your life.”
Devonshire said the coaches at Pitt, specifically secondary coach Archie Collins, was always real with him about his opportunity. He feels comfortable here, saying he had no butterflies on his first day; that Pitt feels right.
He also got some good advice from his dad who tells him something many of us have heard from our fathers-you may not understand what I’m saying now, but you will down the road.
“Football is going to come,” Devonshire said his father told him. “Everyone here is naturally a good football player. When it comes to living life. If you want to live your life in Pittsburgh. Can you start a family? How will you help your family when it comes to living in Pittsburgh?”
Devonshire felt it was not just a football decision, but potentially one that sets up the rest of his life.
The former all-state player also has his former Aliuippa quarterback helping him. Eli Kosonvich is a walk-on QB with the Panthers. He is Devonshire’s best friend for years and helped him throughout the process with any questions he had.
On the field, the 5’11” corner hopes to be able to return kicks, he finished one shy of a high school record with eight returned for touchdown his senior year. He also loves the way the Panthers play defense and believes he can play right away. He enjoys the competition of press coverage. Devonshire also looks at the potential a couple of former WPIAL players have in the NFL Draft in April.
“Definitely excites me seeing guys go to the League, to have that opportunity is amazing,” Devonshire said. “Especially guys like Damar Hamlin, Paris Ford, guys from the city.”
“Seeing them gives people hope. A lot of times I look at them and it’s like, man they did it and they are from where I am from. So why can’t I? Hopefully I can do that for the next kid coming up. They look at me like he did it, so why can’t I? It just becomes a chain reaction.”
He seems to have grown a lot in the two years away from home. He’s heeding his father’s advice and his mother was quite emotional at his decision.
“My mom loves it,” Devonshire said. “She cried when I moved in. My dad is happy. My family is happy to see me happy. My mom definitely loves that I am down the road. She’ll sometimes call and say ‘you want me to come up and bring you something’?”
Devonshire said he wants to be independent, but admitted there may be a time where he will let his mom do his laundry.