Tai'yon Devers giving Gophers a blast from the past this season

On his first collegiate down, Tai'yon Devers twisted around his blocker, launched at the quarterback's blindside and clobbered him, knocking the football loose.

A few minutes later, he did it all again. Both times, the Oregon State quarterback never saw him coming.

The Gophers defensive end burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2016, forcing three fumbles off three sacks all in his first three games. With a start like that, Devers faced huge expectations for what his career could become.

But now he is a senior, and that trio of strip sacks are still his highlights.

"A lot of people remember me because of that, those moments that year," said Devers, who has just 14 career tackles entering Saturday's home game against Georgia Southern. "I don't let that affect me. Because I haven't done anything. I haven't really done anything the last two years."

Devers is a conundrum. His talent breeds electrifying moments, like his fourth-down sack that sealed the season-opening victory against South Dakota State. But he also makes head-scratching decisions, like his costly facemask penalty in last week's win at Fresno State.

That turbulence has all been a part of Devers' journey from quick rise to relative obscurity to — potentially — mature leader.

"He's one of those special stories where, it could have went either way," Gophers defensive coordinator Joe Rossi said. "He could be one of those guys who maybe is at home and not in school. But … he just made a decision that, hey, he was going to go full board this thing."

It hasn't been easy. The 22-year-old Devers said he has lost two or three people close to him every year since he has been with the Gophers — even one on the day of his dazzling first game — from violence, accidents, sickness or other unfortunate events.

For example, Devers' mom, LaTia James, recalled how one of her son's friends, Reuel Buchanan, died in April 2018 after a car hit him while he was on an evening run at college.

James said while these losses have been devastating, they have strengthened her son rather than broken him.

Devers has an eagle tattooed on his chest to commemorate one set of godparents, both pastors who died after a car crash when he was in the eighth grade. He remembered an impactful sermon they made once, based on Bible scripture Isaiah 40:31, which is also tattooed on his arm along with the word "Faith."

"The last message I got from them was, 'Fly with the eagles, not the buzzards,' " Devers explained.

That motto helped him turn around his Gophers tenure — plus a pep talk from Mom. Devers was recruited by former coach Tracy Claeys and didn't take well at first to P.J. Fleck and the new staff in 2017.

His mother told him he had to earn his playing time under a coach who didn't owe him anything. Coming home wasn't an option.

"Basically, just get yourself together," James said with a laugh.

Devers did. He took football more seriously, in the weight room and on the field, making the 6-4, 245-pound lineman the top fill-in this season with Carter Coughlin battling injury.

He stopped fighting Fleck's culture, which has now permeated all areas of his life.

James has noticed how her son focuses on school, makes better decisions and doesn't complain as much. He is also looking to go back to church and has even started paying attention to finances, calling home for recipes like rice casserole and chicken fettuccine Alfredo, so he saves money cooking.

"It's really not even about football," James said. "It's really about him feeling good about himself and being happy with the man that's reflecting back at him at the end of the day."

Rossi called Devers one of his "favorites" he loves and has seen grow each year.

"Sometimes when you're young, the worst thing is to have immediate success," Rossi said. "Because then you feel like you have all the answers and everything figured out. And then sometimes you realize that's not necessarily the case."

James remembered watching her son in his freshman debut, thinking it "was just a snapshot of where he was going to go." In the past three seasons, that picture came in and out of focus.

Last week, with Fresno State facing third-and-22 in the second quarter, Devers yanked on his blocker's facemask far removed from the play. The inexplicable personal foul extended the Bulldogs' drive, eventually leading to a touchdown.

The Gophers pulled out the win in double overtime, easing some of the fallout. But it marred what could have been a breakout for Devers in just his second career start.

"The penalty is so far out of our culture. I think that he understood that," Fleck said. "He has done so well in the growth of him as a man that I'm really proud of him. But you can't go back. You can't have a penalty like that."

Rossi said Devers, while upset with himself, has responded to the situation well in practice and still retains the coaches' "full trust."

That's a benefit he has earned throughout the past two years. And with one left, Devers has a chance to do what no one saw coming once again.

"I want to do my job, and I'm going to prove myself this year," Devers said. "And I'm going to make plays."