INDIANAPOLIS -- No high school in the world has produced more Pro Football Hall of Fame talent than the three who hail from Aliquippa High School.
Darrelle Revis became the most-recent to join that lineage, as the former Pitt and Aliquippa star was enshrined in Canton, Ohio, in 2023. He joined Ty Law (2019) and Mike Ditka (1988) as former Quips to be immortalized among football greats.
It's history that's hard to ignore for anybody who comes out of that school. It's not a stranger of a topic for former Aliquippa and Pitt cornerback M.J. Devonshire, who is beginning his own pathway to the pros at this week's NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
"They often tell me to just focus on being the next me, but it's hard," Devonshire said Thursday at the Indiana Convention Center. "I tell people a lot of times, a lot of my goals are oriented around what they did and accomplished and some of the things that they did along with them both winning a Super Bowl. I definitely hope to, at least, win two and be with them in that category."
Devonshire has a deep relationship with Revis, and the ties direct right to the field in the similar styles they played with during their respective times.
He was an elite return man just as Revis was, and few highlights across the history of the Pitt program were more electrifying than Devonshire's pick-six in front of a Pittsburgh-record crowd in the 2022 Backyard Brawl against West Virginia.
Devonshire spoke of Revis as an inspiration for him, and just as Revis created a historic moment with his punt return touchdown in the 2006 Backyard Brawl, so did Devonshire in the 2022 version with his pick-six.
Their relationship is a strong one, too. Revis had Devonshire up on stage with him during his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year:
PITT ATHLETICS
M.J. Devonshire, right, poses with Tony Dorsett, left, and Darrelle Revis during Revis' enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year in Canton, Ohio.
The connection is right there. It's embraced by Devonshire to a point -- as anybody would -- but Devonshire still hopes to have the majority of his football life ahead of him, beginning with this Combine and the April NFL Draft, as the first M.J. Devonshire.
"Through this process they've talked about just being myself and the same things they've been telling me with this entire journey," Devonshire said. "Just going in with a clear mind and focused on doing what I've got to do to be successful."
Devonshire was a second-team All-ACC selection following the 2023 season. He led Pitt with four interceptions and paced the ACC in pass breakups and interception return yards.
He was a second-team All-ACC pick in 2022 as a punt return specialist. Devonshire said special teams is an imperative avenue for him to pursue throughout his draft process.
"Big time," he said. "I talked to teams a lot not just about my returning ability but my willingness to want to play punt, run down, make a tackle, even block a punt if I'm not going to be a returner. Special teams is an important phase of the game and I learned that through college. It's ultimately more than just returning a kick or a punt, and being a part of that team you've seen guys block field goals to win games. Being a part of those phases is an important factor."
At just under 6 feet tall and at 179 pounds, per his measurements at the East-West Shrine Bowl in January, Devonshire scored 11th among Combine cornerbacks in production per NFL Next Gen Stats. NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein penned this analysis of Devonshire:
"Devonshire is a cornerback with long arms and impressive ball production," Zierlein wrote. "He’s confident in press, allowing his athleticism to trace routes while instincts and agility key his work from zone. Devonshire locates the quarterback and ball flight fairly quickly with his back to the ball. He sits in the pocket of an average route runner and uses his length and reactive quickness to swat throws away. The long speed appears to be average and he picks up his share of flags with excessive grabbing against big targets downfield. A move to nickel is possible, and he has the athletic traits to make it work provided his run-support efforts don’t short-circuit his opportunity."
Devonshire said he spoke to many teams in Indianapolis, though all meetings were on an informal basis. He mentioned a meeting with his hometown Steelers, though he has not spoken to Mike Tomlin yet. Devonshire is friends with Tomlin's son, Dino Tomlin, so their connection goes far beyond Devonshire's time at Pitt.
"I've talked to Steelers scouts and coaches," Devonshire said. "I haven't talked to 'coach T' though but I have talked to some from the Steelers."
Per the Mock Draft Database, Devonshire profiles as a Day 3 selection come April. The highest he has been mocked is the fifth round. Devonshire ranks as the 228th overall player on the Database's consensus big board. He said he will take part in all drills here in Indianapolis and teams have spoken to him about playing outside cornerback and inside of the slot. He said no discussions have taken place about him moving to safety.
Pat Narduzzi, defensive coordinator Randy Bates, and defensive backs coach Archie Collins have developed eight Panthers defensive backs into NFL talent in recent memory: Jordan Whitehead (2018 fourth round), Avonte Maddox (2018 fourth round), Dane Jackson (2020 seventh round), Jason Pinnock (2021 fifth round), Damar Hamlin (2021 sixth round), Damarri Mathis (2022 fourth round), Erick Hallett (2023 sixth round), and Brandon Hill (2023 seventh round).
Narduzzi's system is tailor-made for cornerbacks to sink or swim. The press-man style is something that has bred an advanced culture for development, and a DB has been taken in five of the past six drafts with 2019 being the exception as a result. Devonshire said scouts are looking to see more physicality and improved tackling from him this week in Indianapolis. He said Collins taught him about confidence and how to trust his abilities and trust himself.
"(The scouts) talked a lot about the things we've done and how well I'm able to communicate it to them and explain what we do," Devonshire said. "They know that we are a press-man team but sometimes being able to be versatile is a good thing. To showcase that in the (Shrine Bowl) was good."
