Senior Spotlight: CJ DeVine

Elgin Owl CJ DeVine is a left guard on the football team. He wants to play basketball this year and hasn’t hit the hardwood since freshman year. DeVine has also run track for the past three years.

He plays pickleball at the YMCA with the elder community.

“Older people will be there, young guys, and I just played it for a little with them,” DeVine said. “And I just like, yeah, it's an easy sport and I like it.”

He also shoots pool with teammates.

“On Thursday, we have a thing called line night. And half like the linemen, our quarterback, running backs come,” DeVine said. “It'll be like, it was just like a thing like, ‘Hey, let's go play pool.’ And ever since…every Thursday now we go play pool and stuff. So…every Thursday I'll probably go play pool.”

He said the football team is like a family to him.

“I think I was like, the younger guys, as…my little brothers, try to help them out and stuff,” DeVine said. “Don't be like, you know, and like mean to them and stuff and help them out with stuff.”

He said protecting his teammates on the field and winning games is a highlight of his football career.

DeVine is going to miss his friends, Friday night lights and classes after he graduates.

“I think I definitely want to take…a job route,” he said. “Probably become an electrician and stuff and learn how to…do stuff like that.”

DeVine said his dad always worked hard.

“He worked for County and stuff, and like Lawton. And I think it's just like a good thing because he always helped people out and stuff,” he said. “And I always hear people like compliment like, ‘Oh yeah, your dad helped me with that.’ And I'm like, ‘That's pretty cool that my dad helped him with that stuff.’ So, it's like good to hear.”

To keep in touch with his heritage, DeVine goes to powwows.

“In the summer, I did a peyote meeting for George Tahdooahnippah. It was his…graduation thing,” he said. “I did that with him. That was a pretty cool experience, experience and stuff, but yeah.”

DeVine wants to keep the future generations in his family informed of powwow traditions.

“I think this is good because, like, it's just to stay connected with his, like, ancestry. And you know, I probably want to do it with my kids as well,” he said. “Just like, I probably won't make them my dance stuff, but I'll definitely show them like, ‘Hey, this is what your people used to do back in the day. This is what they did and stuff.’ It would be cool, like you'd know and stuff one day and say like, ‘It's a good thing to come from these people.’”

This year he received all A’s and made honor roll.