Bowl Bond
12/11/2023 12:36:00 PM | Football
A heartbreaking last-second loss to end their high school careers turned into a life-changing opportunity for De'Braylon Carroll and Tre'shon Devones
Five years after seeing their quest to reach the summit of the largest division in Texas high school football ripped from their grasp on one of the most memorable plays in UIL playoff history, De'Braylon Carroll and Tre'shon Devones find themselves pursuing master's degrees in the classroom and a bowl championship on the field at Rice, thanks to the very architect of their high school heartbreak.
Along the way, the two have formed a deep bond, strengthened by their respective battles back from injuries and the perspective gained along the way, to become leaders of the Owls' defense in 2023.
The initial impact of Dematrius Davis's 45-yard Hail Mary pass to AJ Clark with no time remaining gave Galena Park North Shore a 41-36 win over Duncanville and the Texas 6A Division 1 state title.
While head coach Jon Kay and his Mustangs celebrated grasping victory from an all-but-certain defeat, Carroll and Devones could barely comprehend how the culmination of all their aspirations had suddenly been ripped from their grasp.
In the weeks that followed, the dramatic ending would become a highlight staple on social media throughout the sports world, making it impossible to avoid. But at the same time, a recommendation from Kay to Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren to take a close look at Carroll, who had proven to be a terror for his linemen throughout the game, set in motion a series of events for both players—and later Kay himself—to lead Rice to a date with Texas State in the SERVPRO First Responders Bowl just four days after the fifth anniversary of their epic initial encounter.
For Carroll and Devones, the bowl trip will be a trip home to where they began their football association as two of the few sophomores to make the Duncanville varsity roster in 2016.
"I don't remember meeting him as much as hearing the defensive guys talk about him in the locker room," Devones recalled. "They showed this dude's film and he was just mauling guys, throwing them all over the place. He was the one pulling, he was knocking them off their feet."
"I knew who he was in eighth grade because he was a quarterback and I was a defensive end," Carroll said. "But we got to know each other when we were two of few sophomores on the varsity. "
Both had been all-district selections as juniors, but Carroll was moved to join Devones on defense where his quickness translated into winning district defensive MVP honors while leading Duncanville to a showdown with North Shore in the state title game in their backyard at AT&T Stadium.
Devones had been a sought-after recruit and had collected offers from Baylor, Iowa State, and Washington State among others heading into his senior year. Carroll was flying under the radar because of his size as a junior guard on the offensive line and had attracted interest from Georgetown and Navy.
Devones confesses to being a bit naïve about the recruiting process at the time and it left him with few options as the early signing day approached in the days leading up to the state title game.
"I was immature in the process," he recalled. "Duncanville had been down as a program for a while and as we started to rise and the offers started rolling in, I didn't have someone I could lean on to help me manage the process. I wasn't in communication with a lot of those schools and when it came down to signing day, I thought I could just commit to Baylor. But they had filled up and so all I had left was Air Force. It was a humbling experience, to go from a guy that had all these offers to not to not knowing where he was going."
At the same time, Carroll held off, believing that his performance on the defensive line would open a door somewhere.
"With me playing defensive tackle for only one year, they kind of already had their guys. But I knew I was going to go somewhere. I didn't know where, but I was going find a place somewhere and then out of the blue, you get a call," Carroll recalled.
On the strength of Kay's recommendation, Rice took a look at Carroll, and was immediately sold. They offered him on January 19, 2019, and he committed one month to the date of the loss in the state championship.
Devones announced his commitment to Air Force on signing day in February, but he was not sure it would be his final destination and because recruits to the service academies do not sign National Letters of Intent which binds them to a particular school, time—even if it was only a few months—was on his side.
Carroll's commitment to Rice reminded Devones of a brief encounter with Rice coaches a few years earlier. On a visit to the school, a coach from Rice asked his coaches about him but was told with the interest Devones was already drawing from P5 programs, the Owls had no shot at his signature.
Armed with a solid transcript and a stellar resume, blocked only by his own misunderstanding of the recruiting process, Devones sought out Carroll to ask if there was room for him at Rice and he readily jumped at the chance to help his teammate.
The answer came back that while a scholarship was not currently available, Devones would qualify academically for admission and thanks to the Rice Investment program could join the team as a walk-on where he could complete for a scholarship.
Devones announced his decision to enroll at Rice at the end of May and when he joined Carroll for the start of training camp, it was only a matter of days before he was told he would join him on scholarship.
Both found immediate success as true freshmen in 2019.
Devones debuted in the opener at Army and moved into the starting lineup in the final four games as the Owls closed the year with three straight wins.
Carroll was even better, playing in all 12 games while backing up current Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Myles Adams. He was voted the Owls' top freshman by his teammates and was named to PFF's All-Freshman of the Year third team.
During the shortened 2020 season, Carroll moved into a starting role and averaged better than four tackles per game, highlighted by 1.5 sacks during the Owls' 20-0 shutout at No. 17 Marshall. Devones started two of the first three games, but his season ended with an injury, starting a series of medical challenges that would challenge him over the next two years.
He sat out the 2021 season and was joined by Carroll who suffered a season-ending injury of his own just before the start of training camp.
The two teammates found themselves on the sidelines for the first time in their careers, leaning on each other and to their faith to weather the challenges of inactivity and school.
"That's when we grew the closest," Devones stated. "Even though our recovery process was different, we both wanted to be on the field. He was the one who helped me because he has that positive light and could always take my mind off the bad things that were around me. When you are passionate about football and injured, there's not much to be happy about.
"It's easy for people to just say 'keep working and your time's gonna come' and God has helped me to be able to do that during those times. I just kept working and trusting in him. I struggled at times, but he kept me close and to see the stuff that he's blessed me to be able to do today, sometimes I think 'Dang, is that really me out there, is that really the guy that was on crutches, for like almost a whole season?' Just seeing what he has done in my life, man, I just, I'm just truly grateful. Seeing what he's done in the De'Braylon's life as well, it's a blessing too because like I knew he could go out there and ball when he's healthy… he can be the best out there," Devones stated.
"I feel like we made the best of it because of our faith," Carroll noted. "My faith grew stronger in God and his plan was greater than mine. It helped us grow closer. We only had each other because everybody was going to the road games and stuff while we were rehabbing."
Carroll returned to the field in 2022 and gradually returned to his previous form, a pattern that intensified this season. He has posted career-best numbers in tackles (40), TFL (6-35), sacks (2.5/17), total pressures (27), hurries (20), and tied his career high for quarterback hits (3). He closed the year with 18 tackles over the last four games while registering a TFL in each.
Devones found some playing time in 2022 but was net yet back to full strength until this season. He announced his return to prominence in the 2023 opener at Texas with a career-high six tackles and the following week he picked off a pass on Houston's first possession to set the second of four early touchdowns for the Owls along with breaking up a pair of passes. He ended the season with career-highs in games (12), starts (11), tackles (37), PBU (10) and interceptions (2), and snaps (791) and is the highest-rated Owls defensive starter by PFF (77.1) while leading the defensive backs with a 79.8 coverage grade.
This season also brought a reunion of sorts with the man responsible for ending their high school careers with a memorable loss but in turn, opening the door to their futures at Rice when Kay joined the Owls this season--ironically after dropping the fourth state championship battle with Duncanville in the last five years—as their linebacker coach.
The combination meshed seamlessly along with some good-natured banter about the 2018 game as well as the prospects of yet another state title showdown for their formal schools which became a reality after last weekend's 6A D1 semifinals.
All three are united in the goal of leading Rice to a bowl victory, but with the Owls taking a break from practices over the weekend after the conclusion of finals, all three will be able to move to their respective corners on Saturday and root for their team. This time, the only thing on the line between them will be bragging rights to liven up the upcoming bowl practices with a few reminders of the outcome.
"He's a great coach and a great dude," Devones said. "I know we're going have our little chirping going on, but at the end of the day it's all love."
Along the way, the two have formed a deep bond, strengthened by their respective battles back from injuries and the perspective gained along the way, to become leaders of the Owls' defense in 2023.
The initial impact of Dematrius Davis's 45-yard Hail Mary pass to AJ Clark with no time remaining gave Galena Park North Shore a 41-36 win over Duncanville and the Texas 6A Division 1 state title.
While head coach Jon Kay and his Mustangs celebrated grasping victory from an all-but-certain defeat, Carroll and Devones could barely comprehend how the culmination of all their aspirations had suddenly been ripped from their grasp.
In the weeks that followed, the dramatic ending would become a highlight staple on social media throughout the sports world, making it impossible to avoid. But at the same time, a recommendation from Kay to Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren to take a close look at Carroll, who had proven to be a terror for his linemen throughout the game, set in motion a series of events for both players—and later Kay himself—to lead Rice to a date with Texas State in the SERVPRO First Responders Bowl just four days after the fifth anniversary of their epic initial encounter.
For Carroll and Devones, the bowl trip will be a trip home to where they began their football association as two of the few sophomores to make the Duncanville varsity roster in 2016.
"I don't remember meeting him as much as hearing the defensive guys talk about him in the locker room," Devones recalled. "They showed this dude's film and he was just mauling guys, throwing them all over the place. He was the one pulling, he was knocking them off their feet."
"I knew who he was in eighth grade because he was a quarterback and I was a defensive end," Carroll said. "But we got to know each other when we were two of few sophomores on the varsity. "
Both had been all-district selections as juniors, but Carroll was moved to join Devones on defense where his quickness translated into winning district defensive MVP honors while leading Duncanville to a showdown with North Shore in the state title game in their backyard at AT&T Stadium.
Devones had been a sought-after recruit and had collected offers from Baylor, Iowa State, and Washington State among others heading into his senior year. Carroll was flying under the radar because of his size as a junior guard on the offensive line and had attracted interest from Georgetown and Navy.
Devones confesses to being a bit naïve about the recruiting process at the time and it left him with few options as the early signing day approached in the days leading up to the state title game.
"I was immature in the process," he recalled. "Duncanville had been down as a program for a while and as we started to rise and the offers started rolling in, I didn't have someone I could lean on to help me manage the process. I wasn't in communication with a lot of those schools and when it came down to signing day, I thought I could just commit to Baylor. But they had filled up and so all I had left was Air Force. It was a humbling experience, to go from a guy that had all these offers to not to not knowing where he was going."
At the same time, Carroll held off, believing that his performance on the defensive line would open a door somewhere.
"With me playing defensive tackle for only one year, they kind of already had their guys. But I knew I was going to go somewhere. I didn't know where, but I was going find a place somewhere and then out of the blue, you get a call," Carroll recalled.
On the strength of Kay's recommendation, Rice took a look at Carroll, and was immediately sold. They offered him on January 19, 2019, and he committed one month to the date of the loss in the state championship.
Devones announced his commitment to Air Force on signing day in February, but he was not sure it would be his final destination and because recruits to the service academies do not sign National Letters of Intent which binds them to a particular school, time—even if it was only a few months—was on his side.
Carroll's commitment to Rice reminded Devones of a brief encounter with Rice coaches a few years earlier. On a visit to the school, a coach from Rice asked his coaches about him but was told with the interest Devones was already drawing from P5 programs, the Owls had no shot at his signature.
Armed with a solid transcript and a stellar resume, blocked only by his own misunderstanding of the recruiting process, Devones sought out Carroll to ask if there was room for him at Rice and he readily jumped at the chance to help his teammate.
The answer came back that while a scholarship was not currently available, Devones would qualify academically for admission and thanks to the Rice Investment program could join the team as a walk-on where he could complete for a scholarship.
Devones announced his decision to enroll at Rice at the end of May and when he joined Carroll for the start of training camp, it was only a matter of days before he was told he would join him on scholarship.
Both found immediate success as true freshmen in 2019.
Devones debuted in the opener at Army and moved into the starting lineup in the final four games as the Owls closed the year with three straight wins.
Carroll was even better, playing in all 12 games while backing up current Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Myles Adams. He was voted the Owls' top freshman by his teammates and was named to PFF's All-Freshman of the Year third team.
During the shortened 2020 season, Carroll moved into a starting role and averaged better than four tackles per game, highlighted by 1.5 sacks during the Owls' 20-0 shutout at No. 17 Marshall. Devones started two of the first three games, but his season ended with an injury, starting a series of medical challenges that would challenge him over the next two years.
He sat out the 2021 season and was joined by Carroll who suffered a season-ending injury of his own just before the start of training camp.
The two teammates found themselves on the sidelines for the first time in their careers, leaning on each other and to their faith to weather the challenges of inactivity and school.
"That's when we grew the closest," Devones stated. "Even though our recovery process was different, we both wanted to be on the field. He was the one who helped me because he has that positive light and could always take my mind off the bad things that were around me. When you are passionate about football and injured, there's not much to be happy about.
"It's easy for people to just say 'keep working and your time's gonna come' and God has helped me to be able to do that during those times. I just kept working and trusting in him. I struggled at times, but he kept me close and to see the stuff that he's blessed me to be able to do today, sometimes I think 'Dang, is that really me out there, is that really the guy that was on crutches, for like almost a whole season?' Just seeing what he has done in my life, man, I just, I'm just truly grateful. Seeing what he's done in the De'Braylon's life as well, it's a blessing too because like I knew he could go out there and ball when he's healthy… he can be the best out there," Devones stated.
"I feel like we made the best of it because of our faith," Carroll noted. "My faith grew stronger in God and his plan was greater than mine. It helped us grow closer. We only had each other because everybody was going to the road games and stuff while we were rehabbing."
Carroll returned to the field in 2022 and gradually returned to his previous form, a pattern that intensified this season. He has posted career-best numbers in tackles (40), TFL (6-35), sacks (2.5/17), total pressures (27), hurries (20), and tied his career high for quarterback hits (3). He closed the year with 18 tackles over the last four games while registering a TFL in each.
Devones found some playing time in 2022 but was net yet back to full strength until this season. He announced his return to prominence in the 2023 opener at Texas with a career-high six tackles and the following week he picked off a pass on Houston's first possession to set the second of four early touchdowns for the Owls along with breaking up a pair of passes. He ended the season with career-highs in games (12), starts (11), tackles (37), PBU (10) and interceptions (2), and snaps (791) and is the highest-rated Owls defensive starter by PFF (77.1) while leading the defensive backs with a 79.8 coverage grade.
This season also brought a reunion of sorts with the man responsible for ending their high school careers with a memorable loss but in turn, opening the door to their futures at Rice when Kay joined the Owls this season--ironically after dropping the fourth state championship battle with Duncanville in the last five years—as their linebacker coach.
The combination meshed seamlessly along with some good-natured banter about the 2018 game as well as the prospects of yet another state title showdown for their formal schools which became a reality after last weekend's 6A D1 semifinals.
All three are united in the goal of leading Rice to a bowl victory, but with the Owls taking a break from practices over the weekend after the conclusion of finals, all three will be able to move to their respective corners on Saturday and root for their team. This time, the only thing on the line between them will be bragging rights to liven up the upcoming bowl practices with a few reminders of the outcome.
"He's a great coach and a great dude," Devones said. "I know we're going have our little chirping going on, but at the end of the day it's all love."
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