Ex-Nittany Lion likes Delaware fit

By Jeff McLane

Inquirer Staff Writer

NEWARK, Del. - On a recent showery Wednesday, Pat Devlin arrived at the University of Delaware's Bob Carpenter Center shaking the raindrops from his clothes.

"Are we practicing outside?" he asked.

If Devlin, now a Blue Hens quarterback, were still at Penn State, there would be no need for such a question. If it rains in precipitous Happy Valley, the football team simply moves inside the 118,000-square-foot Holuba Hall.

At Division I-AA Delaware, if it rains - if it pours - the Blue Hens practice outside. Only in unsafe conditions do they relocate to the 43-year-old, turf-less Delaware Field House.

The downgrade in facilities is just one of the changes Devlin has faced since transferring out of Penn State and arriving in the First State over the winter. Everything is smaller - the classes, the campus, the weight room, the stadium - and there are fewer perks than the typical Division I-A athlete is accustomed to.

But for Devlin, there's one thing Delaware has that Penn State doesn't: a starting spot.

For major college quarterbacks looking for an out, Delaware has become a refuge. Most recently and most notably, Joe Flacco came here

and in two years developed into an NFL first-round draft pick.

For Devlin, following in Flacco's footsteps was part of the allure. But the junior wanted, most of all, to play. Faced with another season on the bench behind Daryll Clark, Devlin left Penn State in December in what was a touchy public divorce.

Even though he may not officially have the job yet - it's a no-brainer - when Devlin lines up under center for the Blue Hens' opener in September, it will be his first start since his senior all-American season at Downingtown East High in 2005.

"I'm so excited to finally get back on the field," Devlin said. "It's been almost four years. I've been aching for it. . . . I don't feel like I'm going out there with something to prove. I just want to play my game."

Still, with the wounds fresh, Devlin's success or failure will be closely watched by two camps. And that could be the problem for a player of his stature. Devlin and Delaware want to look to the future, but Penn State and the past keep creeping up from behind.

"All our kids care about is having success here at Delaware," Blue Hens coach K.C. Keeler said. "Your stories at Penn State - they're interesting, but don't let that cloud what the reality is here. You're here to be a Blue Hen."

Devlin has done his best to assimilate. In January, a month before enrolling, he moved into an off-campus apartment with several other players. When jerseys were being assigned, he asked for a number other than his usual No. 7, knowing another player had worn it the previous season. One try later and he chose No. 17 - Clark's number.

On the field, he's split the first-team snaps with junior Sean Hakes, a transfer from Akron. Last spring, Devlin split reps with Clark in a competition that boiled through the summer until the week before the opener. Even if he hasn't yet earned Keeler's endorsement, those closest to Devlin notice a change a year later.

"I had the opportunity to go down there last week and watch practice and sit in the meeting room with Pat, [offensive coordinator] Jim Hofher, and Coach Keeler," said Dan Ellis, Devlin's offensive coordinator at Downingtown East. "I've coached Pat since the 10th grade, and it was very refreshing to see him and hear how excited he was about football again because I knew that had not been the case."

Devlin's departure from Penn State was met with some criticism. He was cited as just another petulant athlete who, when things weren't going his way, took his ball and ran away.

"There's a point in your career where you have to make the selfish decision, 'What's going to be best for me over the long haul?' " Keeler said.

For Devlin, Penn State no longer offered enough promise. He was a redshirt his first year, third string the next, and the backup last year. Another season sitting behind Clark beckoned, leaving Devlin just his senior year as the possible starter.

"I didn't feel like one year was enough for me," Devlin said. "I felt like if I was going to sit on the bench for four years, it was going to take some time to knock off that rust in that fifth year."