Denzel Devall
{{Short description|American football player (born 1994)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}{{College coach infobox
| name = Denzel Devall
| current_title = Director of Player Development
| current_team = Alabama
| current_conference = Southeastern Conference
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1994}}
| birth_place = Bastrop, Louisiana, U.S.
| alma_mater = University of Alabama
| player_years1 = 2012-2015
| player_team1 = Alabama
| player_positions = Linebacker
| admin_years1 = 2016–present
| admin_team1 = Alabama
| awards = *CFP National Champion (2016)
}}
Denzel Devall (born 1994) is an American former college football linebacker who played for the University of Alabama from 2012 to 2015. In July 2016, he started serving as a personnel assistant on the Alabama Crimson Tide football coaching staff.{{Cite web |last=Zenitz |first=Matt |date=August 1, 2016 |title=Valued member of 2015 Alabama defense joins Tide staff |url=http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2016/08/valued_member_of_2015_alabama.html |access-date=2023-07-28 |website=AL.com}} In January and February 2017, he was promoted first to assistant strength and conditioning coach and then promoted again to director of player development.{{cite news |title=Denzel Devall Moving Up at Alabama |newspaper=Bastrop Daily Enterprise |date=February 21, 2017 |url=http://www.bastropenterprise.com/sports/20170221/denzel-devall-moving-up-at-alabama }}
Early life
A native of Bastrop, Louisiana, Devall attended Bastrop High School, where he played on the football team. He finished his junior season with 108 tackles, five sacks, three fumbles caused, two fumbles recovered, and one interception. Bastrop finished the season with an 11–2 record, losing 26–20 in a hard-fought four-overtime game to Anthony Johnson's O. Perry Walker team in the Class 4A semifinals.{{cite news |url=http://highschoolsports.nola.com/news/article/8071159065099286730/op-walker-defeats-bastrop-in-four-overtimes/ |title=O.P. Walker defeats Bastrop in four overtimes |newspaper=Times-Picayune |date=December 3, 2010 |access-date=May 13, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220244/http://highschoolsports.nola.com/news/article/8071159065099286730/op-walker-defeats-bastrop-in-four-overtimes/ |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |url-status=dead }} In his senior year, Devall was credited with 73 tackles, including 53 solo stops, two sacks, three pass breakups, one fumble forced and one fumble recovery. Bastrop fell short of the playoffs, with a 6–4 season record. Nonetheless, Devall was a 2011 Louisiana Sports Writers Association 4A All-State selection.
Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Devall was listed as the No. 5 inside linebacker in his class.[https://sports.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/player-Denzel-Devall-98653;_ylt=AgUukA2Jy1Km_linu22uoEtDPZB4 Denzel Devall Recruiting Profile] He chose Alabama over offers from Louisiana State, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas Christian.
College career
Contributing as a true freshman, Devall saw action in all 14 games at the "Jack" linebacker position, and totaled 18 tackles, with two sacks, three tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries en route to being named to The Sporting News Freshman All-America Team.{{cite news |url=http://www.bastropenterprise.com/article/20130115/SPORTS/130119759?refresh=true |title=Denzel Devall contributes to Alabama's national title |newspaper=Bastrop Daily Enterprise |date=January 15, 2013 }} His biggest game came on October 27, against Mississippi State, when he recorded two tackles for loss (one sack) and received Defensive Player of the Week honors from the Alabama coaching staff.{{Cite web |last=Gribble |first=Andrew |date=2013-01-06 |title=Knee injury was initially scary for Alabama linebacker Denzel Devall, but it's 'no biggie' now |url=https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2013/01/knee_injury_was_initially_scar.html |access-date=2024-07-20 |website=AL.com |language=en}} Devall drew comparisons to former Alabama outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw.{{cite news |url=http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20121212/news/121219957 |title=Denzel Devall can't avoid comparison to former great |first=Aaron |last=Suttles |newspaper=Tuscaloosa News |date=December 12, 2012 }}
In his sophomore year, Devall took on a bigger role in Alabama's defense.{{cite news |url=http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2013/08/14/2634423/alabamas-denzel-devall-makes-bid.html |title=Alabama's Denzel Devall makes bid for additional playing time |work=Bastrop Daily Enterprise |date=October 21, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514193221/http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2013/08/14/2634423/alabamas-denzel-devall-makes-bid.html |archivedate=May 14, 2014 }} He played in thirteen games, recording 30 tackles (including 14 solo), and five tackles for a loss of yardage. He also tied Adrian Hubbard for second-most quarterback sacks on the team with three, behind A'Shawn Robinson's 5.5 sacks. In a 52–0 shutout against Arkansas, Devall was credited with three tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry.{{Cite web |date=October 21, 2013 |title=Denzel Devall helps Alabama stonewall Arkansas |url=http://www.bastropenterprise.com/article/20131021/SPORTS/131029966 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514040623/http://www.bastropenterprise.com/article/20131021/SPORTS/131029966 |archive-date=2014-05-14 |newspaper=Bastrop Daily Enterprise}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Twitter}}
- [http://www.rolltide.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/denzel_devall_811205.html Alabama Crimson Tide bio]
{{2012 Alabama Crimson Tide football navbox}}
{{2015 Alabama Crimson Tide football navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Devall, Denzel}}
Category:People from Bastrop, Louisiana
Category:Sportspeople from Morehouse Parish, Louisiana
Category:American football linebackers
Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football players
Category:Players of American football from Louisiana