Former Aliquippa Star M.J. Devonshire Returns Home To Pitt After Transferring From Kentucky
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Former Aliquippa star M.J. Devonshire almost picked Pitt in 2018, but he decided to go play football at Kentucky.
It didn't work out there, and the second time around, he said Pitt was it.
"As a kid, I was young so I really wasn't sure what I was looking for," Devonshire said. "I was just going into it like it was a video game, like it was a fairy tale. Being older and more mature, I'm better able to make a decision that fits me."
Devonshire was talking to both Pitt and Penn State before making his final decision on where to transfer. Coming home felt like a much better situation.
"I love the conversation with coach (Archie) Collins at Pitt," Devonshire said. "He didn't change. He said the same things to me as in high school. So that was definitely a big thing in getting me back home."
Devonshire's parents are also big fans of him coming back home.
"My mom loves it," Devonshire said. "She cried when I moved in, but she's an emotional person. My dad's happy, my family is just happy that I'm happy. But yeah, my mom definitely loves it. She'll call me and say, 'Do you want me to bring you something?' and I'll say, 'No, I'm fine, mom.'"
Pitt was also intriguing because of how it plays defense and how a couple of local players have a chance to get drafted this year.
"Guys like Damar Hamlin and Paris Ford, guys who are from this city, I look at them and think they did it and they're from where I'm from so I say, 'Why can't I?'"
Devonshire is hoping he can come in and compete for a starting cornerback job right away.