FOOTBALL: Avery rides fledgling programs to NFLPA roster
Devan Avery, who played high school football in Moreno Valley before moving to Texas, had a standout career at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, earning an invitation to the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.
INCARNATE WORD ATHLETICS, CONTRIBUTED IMAGE
CARSON â" In a perfect world, Devan Avery probably would have played in last yearâs NFLPA Collegiate Bowl â" the first â" rather than this yearâs second edition of the game at the Home Depot Center.
As Avery notes, âMe and startup programs kind of have a history.â
Still, the defensive back who began his high school career at two Moreno Valley schools â" Rancho Verde and Vista del Lago â" has had enough success with fledgling programs to earn a rare invitation for a Division II college athlete to the pre-draft showcase.
Heâll be one of six Inland athletes taking part in the 3 p.m. game, to be televised by ESPN2 â" and closely watched by NFL scouts.
Joining Avery on the American team will be Fresno State center Richard Helepiko, who played against Avery at Moreno Valley High; Southern Utah quarterback Brad Sorensen, from Colton, and New Mexico Highlands linebacker Jordan Campbell, from Norco. Playing for the National squad will be UCLAâs Damien Holmes, from Norco, and SMUâs Aaron Davis, from Elsinore.
When Averyâs family moved from Moreno Valley to Texas, he played his final year of high school at Wagner High School in San Antonio, a first-year program. It was a fairly significant cultural change.
âThey live and breathe high school football,â he said. ââ¦ I had to get used to how passionate everyone was about it.
âThe coaches were a lot more disciplined than the coaches Iâd experienced, really big on âYes sir, no maâam,â no facial hair. Especially in San Antonio â" a military town â" so there was a lot I had to get used to.â
From there, he went onto the University of the Incarnate Word, a San Antonio school just starting its Division II football program.
âWe didnât win as many games as I would likeâ â" in its first four years, the program has gone 12-30 â" âbut it was an amazing experience. I got to meet people Iâm going to be friends with for the rest of my life.â
Having helped start two football programs, heâs now trying to start his own pro career, and there are reasons to believe thatâs a realistic goal.
Incarnate Word plays in the Lone Star Conference, which Avery calls âthe SEC of Division II football.
âOur conference sends so many people to the NFL every year itâs ridiculous,â he says. âSo â¦ my sophomore and junior year, Iâm playing against people who are getting drafted by NFL teams, or signing as undrafted free agents. And Iâm thinking, âOK, if I can play with these guys, then I feel like I can play with anybody.â
It didnât hurt that Incarnate Wordâs coach for Averyâs senior season was Larry Kennan, whose resume includes 16 years as an NFL coach and a Super Bowl ring as an assistant with the L.A. Raiders.
âHe has a lot of NFL experience and knows a lot of NFL people,â Avery said, âso I knew my chances were rising, and then I get invited to this game. And of course I hopped on it immediately.â
Heâs aware heâs in the company of college players whose experience was quite a bit different than his â" âguys that each week have 70,000, 80,000 fans. I think my home games averaged like 1,100. Itâs crazy. â¦
âI never got to experience any of that. But I feel like being here, Iâm kind of experiencing it a little bit, playing Division I.â
Avery considers showing heâs coachable to be the most significant thing he can accomplish this week.
âWe only have a few days to practice,â he said. âSo to be able to take what I learn in these few days and put it all together into a game is important.â