The main reason Noel Devine decided to stay at WVU was not to finish his education or to make a run to a national title. Oh, those were motivations and they’re fine and commendable ones at that. Devine, though, wasn’t going to be drafted in a very favorable position — at least not in accordance with his opinion of his skills and potential. That’s a pretty good motivation, too.

So the Mine Mule returned and, by all accounts, has been at the head of what seems to be an inspiring summer of workouts and preparation for WVU. Bill Stewart calls it “ownership” as exhibited by the most veteran and respected leaders on his team. It is Devine who’s personified the quest to take it upon himself to improve as a team. In doing so, he’s addressing those minor critiques about his game to get better as a player, which then makes the Mountaineers better as a group.

“One of the pro guys sent word back here and said Noel may go in the second round if there’s a team that needs a third-down back,” Stewart said. “I said, ‘That’s the same old bullcrap.’ That’s what they said about Stevie Slaton. All he did was run for 1,000 yards. This guy can play. He’s got to get in the right offense and get in a system that can give him wiggle room.”

Devine also must adhere a little more to the NFL style. He’s eased a lot of worries about his durability by constructing a stout physique and keeping so many of his natural gifts, and he’s handled 206 and 241 carries his past two years while playing through injuries.

Yet he’s only caught 35 and 22 passes in those years and averaged just 6 yards per catch. He’s averaged 6.2 yards per carry over the same time.

“We talked and I said to him, ‘You’ve got to catch a hundred balls a day. You’ve got to be a Santana Moss type. You better learn to catch balls,'” Stewart said.

The reports that have found Stewart say Devine has done just that, with enthusiasm and without complaint.

“Guys see that and they remember that,” Stewart said. “I said earlier in the year, ‘Why do guys come back? It’s because there’s a trust factor.’ There’s never been a trust factor like there is in this program right now.”