He stands on the field, his green jersey blurring as he speeds forward to deftly catch the football, his eyes narrowing onto his goal. Upon catching it, he streaks across the field, dodging and evading the various opponents nearing him. The spectators’ eyes follow him down the field as they cheer him on, suspense building with every passing second. 

When asked about what he cares about that he wished others would give more importance to, the answer is simple for Devin Keller (12): “football.” While he first started playing football because his brothers played the sport, Devin ended up enjoying it; being a member of the football team also helped him foster special bonds with his peers on the team. 

“The team’s my family. I love those guys with all my heart; they’re literally my best friends,” Devin said. 

Devin joined the football team in his freshman year, and now, he is the captain of the team, an achievement that has impacted him significantly. 

“Being a captain, it’s like I am supposed to be this role model for the guys, so I try to show them what’s right and what’s not. It’s kind of being like a parent, I kind of view it as,” Devin said. 

Initially, Devin did not expect to be captain, but he has become an admirable leader. Loren Powers, football head coach, has noticed his leadership skills.

“He’s a great teammate, he’s a great leader, so being someone in a leadership role, he was able to excel at that,” Powers said.

Powers also noted Devin’s work ethic and a desire to improve himself.

“He always seemed to want to bring out the best of himself, and the best of his abilities, whatever task we were asking of him, so as a coach, that’s really all you can ask for, and that’s the kind of ideal athlete you’re looking to coach up and teach,” Powers said. 

Football has enabled Devin to create lasting connections with other students on the team, as the strong friendships that they made are also present outside of football.

“Off-football season, I feel like some of that spirit [from football season] still resides, in the sense that, it’s the bonds that we made through the football season last throughout, like not just the year, probably our entire lives. They’re very special,” Phil Han (12), one of Devin’s close friends and fellow members of the football team, said.

In the summer of his sophomore year, Devin was deciding whether or not he should continue playing football in the future. Now, he appreciates his decision to continue. 

“I’m really happy I didn’t quit just because if I were to have stopped playing, I never would have made the friends that I made and I wouldn’t have been able to make the strong connections that I made and been a good leader and role model for the guys,” Devin said. 

In addition to playing football, Devin works at a restaurant, Hero Ranch Kitchen, on the side. He started the job after working at a private event, and then he decided to continue.

“I really love all my co-workers. They’re all really great people, and having the social interactions with customers, I just think it’s really cool,” Devin said. 

His leadership qualities have also influenced his friends. 

“He’s become a nice, sweet leader,” Griffin Crook (12), another one of Devin’s close friends, said.  

Devin’s energetic and vibrant personality has also impacted his friends, both on and off the football team. 

“He’s probably the best storyteller that I know. Whenever he tells a story, he tends to bring everyone in, he draws everyone’s attention, and he’s just a very fun personality and guy to be around. On the football team and off the football team, he’s definitely the one that makes everyone more lively and pumps everyone up,” Phil said. 

Through football, Devin not only created lasting friendships and developed strong leadership skills, but he also learned an important lesson that guides his everyday life. 

“It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get back up. Whether it’s football, you know, no matter what happens, stuff is going to go wrong, but you just got to keep persisting through and reach your goal, or at the restaurant, when things go wrong, you just got to figure a way around it,” Devin said.