ESPN -- Another day, another retirement.
Mike DeVito, who started on the New York Jets' defensive line from 2010 to 2012, announced Monday morning he's walking away from football. DeVito, only 31, spent six seasons with the Jets, the last three with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Like former teammate D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who posted a farewell letter to fans on Saturday, DeVito opted for the written word to share his thoughts. He explains his decision in a column in the Bangor Daily News. DeVito played his college ball at Maine, so there's the connection.
In many ways, DeVito was an earlier version of Damon Harrison. He was undrafted out of college in 2007 and defied the odds, making the roster and developing into a solid starter. It took him a little longer than Harrison, but he never gave up his job once he got there. He started for the Jets in the 2010 AFC Championship Game, and another two years after that. When he hit free agency, he cashed in, signing a three-year, $12.6 million contract with the Chiefs.
DeVito was one of the strongest players to play for the Jets, and one of the hardest workers. My favorite memory of him occurred far away from the bright lights and big crowds. During the 2011 lockout, DeVito and Sione Pouha organized informal workouts for the Jets' defensive linemen. I stopped by one day in June, watching them and three teammates hit blocking sleds and run agility drills on an empty high-school field near the Jets' facility in New Jersey.
It was an odd to see NFL players in such Spartan surroundings, but DeVito practiced with such intensity that you would've thought he was auditioning for scouts. He didn't go from Maine to the NFL by cutting corners, that's for sure.
One of the players in attendance that day was a shy rookie named Muhammad Wilkerson, who met his new linemates for the first time.
"I tell you what, he's going to be an instant star," DeVito said. "You could tell from this little workout that he has the tools, that he has what it takes to be a great player."
He was right. Maybe DeVito should consider scouting as his new career.
Mike DeVito, who started on the New York Jets' defensive line from 2010 to 2012, announced Monday morning he's walking away from football. DeVito, only 31, spent six seasons with the Jets, the last three with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Like former teammate D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who posted a farewell letter to fans on Saturday, DeVito opted for the written word to share his thoughts. He explains his decision in a column in the Bangor Daily News. DeVito played his college ball at Maine, so there's the connection.
In many ways, DeVito was an earlier version of Damon Harrison. He was undrafted out of college in 2007 and defied the odds, making the roster and developing into a solid starter. It took him a little longer than Harrison, but he never gave up his job once he got there. He started for the Jets in the 2010 AFC Championship Game, and another two years after that. When he hit free agency, he cashed in, signing a three-year, $12.6 million contract with the Chiefs.
DeVito was one of the strongest players to play for the Jets, and one of the hardest workers. My favorite memory of him occurred far away from the bright lights and big crowds. During the 2011 lockout, DeVito and Sione Pouha organized informal workouts for the Jets' defensive linemen. I stopped by one day in June, watching them and three teammates hit blocking sleds and run agility drills on an empty high-school field near the Jets' facility in New Jersey.
It was an odd to see NFL players in such Spartan surroundings, but DeVito practiced with such intensity that you would've thought he was auditioning for scouts. He didn't go from Maine to the NFL by cutting corners, that's for sure.
One of the players in attendance that day was a shy rookie named Muhammad Wilkerson, who met his new linemates for the first time.
"I tell you what, he's going to be an instant star," DeVito said. "You could tell from this little workout that he has the tools, that he has what it takes to be a great player."
He was right. Maybe DeVito should consider scouting as his new career.
