Under Armor recently announced that Sachse High School wide receiver Devin Duvernay was selected to play in the Under Armor All-American game Jan. 2, 2016.
Representatives from Under Armor recently held a celebration where a commemorative jersey was presented to Duvernay.
“This feels great because you work hard for things like this,” Duvernay said. “It was a dream growing up to get the invitation to play in this game.”
Numerous colleges are interested in signing him and he said that he would take his time and think about it. His twin brother, Donovan, also a gifted athlete, has already signed with Baylor.
Duvernay has broken several Sachse HS records and received other awards and he said that the attention was uncomfortable at first, but he’s OK with it now.
The pressure on student-athletes is often intense when they get to the high school level. Academics and good grades are as important as succeeding on the football field. Duvernay said that he handles one thing at a time.
“I just go to school and take care of business there and then go to practice and do the same thing,” he said. “It hasn’t really been that much of a struggle. I just make sure I stay on top of things.”
Duvernay said that he is surprised by what he’s accomplished so far.
“I always dreamed about having success like this,” he said. “I never really thought I would have it, that I’d get all the offers from colleges.”
His parents, Henry and Zena Duvernay, are proud of his success.
“I don’t think there are words to describe how proud I am. Devin’s done such great things and this is one of the greatest he’s ever done,” Zena said. “I’m really happy for him. He deserves it.”
Henry Duvernay coached his sons through little league and they have been playing football since they were kindergarten age.
“I always tried to help them be the best they could be and they stepped up,” Henry said. “They are good kids and they work hard.”
He added that they always made sure that they knew academics came first and they always had to do their homework before they did anything else.
SHS Coach Mark “Red” Behrens expressed pride.
“We are always proud of our kids and I think this is another step for our school and our program, he said. “We’ve got a fine representative in Devin and we’re very excited. He’s one of the best receivers in the metro area and he owns a lot of Sachse records. He was state champion in the 100 meters so he’s our first state champion.”