I’m not going to make a big deal out of it because — and I’ve said this before — I’ve had some pretty cool conversations with the kid for as long as he’s been at WVU. I also think it’s natural and totally understandable for someone to have no idea how to function at first with a swarm of cameras and recorders, but eventually learn to handle it.That said, your early not-football-related storyline this year is how Noel Devine’s personality has gone from caterpillar to butterfly. When Stewart finished his press conference Saturday evening, the media paraded to the player interview room. The doors opened and Devine, who is often the last player to come out, if he makes himself available at all, was there waiting for us. And he was good. Really, really good.

Again, I don’t want to make it seem like a total surprise. He hasn’t been completely bland. He likes to distract teammates when they’re doing interviews. Sometimes he walks by and bumps my hand when I’m writing. I’ve seen him talk to reporters casually about meals at Applebee’s. He’ll even play along and talk about how many teammates can fit in his Dodge Magnum (I saw six once. “That’s the most you’ll ever see in there,” he said.) or he’ll update you on his academics, even though you never asked, because he wants you to know he’s not what others think.

Basically, he does normal stuff, but he has opened up and learned to live in his spotlight. You can’t ignore that and you can’t help but feel good about that if you wondered at all if he could be a leader on an offense that is now without Slaton, Schmitt and White.

For evidence, take the heretofore unknown support system Devine was to Jock Sanders during his six-month suspension.

“We’re two of a kind,” Devine said of Sanders. “I’ve been through some of the same things, had some of the same feelings. When he went through all that, I knew what he felt like. I told him it’d help him get back on the field and do better.”