Andrew DeVries follows his dreams to Big Rapids
CALEDONIA, Mich. 鈥� Caledonia High School senior offensive lineman Andrew DeVries decided to follow his dreams. After months of mulling over scholarship offers, he announced his commitment to Ferris State.
DeVries drew interest from a number of national programs. The 6-foot-3, 285-pound teen was recruited by Division II schools in Michigan, Iowa, Missouri and Ohio. He gave them plenty of reasons why.
The fourth-year star has been a major player since his freshman year on varsity at Zeeland East. That season proved to be key for him. DeVries was picked as Best of the Best at the Rising Stars Showcase in 2018. And he participated in the Rising Stars Top 250 Underclassmen Camp of 2019.
His accolades only begin to tell the story. He earned all-conference and all-region honors last year. In addition, he received an honorable mention for Division 3-4 all-state from the Associated Press.
Following that, DeVries transferred from Zeeland East to Caledonia with his father, Caledonia assistant coach Eric DeVries. His father also served on the Zeeland East staff under current Fighting Scots head coach Derek Pennington, who likewise left for Caledonia in 2021.
The Fighting Scots saw immediate success this fall. They posted their best record in more than a decade. Surely that wouldn鈥檛 be possible without Andrew鈥檚 exceptional efforts in the trenches. He especially shines in the run-blocking schemes.
A closer look shows why Andrew dominates on the field. Aside from raw strength, his game is grounded in the fundamentals. He adds precious intangibles, plus his power is a huge factor.
鈥淚 put 40 pounds on my bench press over quarantine,鈥� . 鈥淭hat is my biggest accomplishment so far. I matured a lot after playing as a freshman. It is nice to have those [two] years to bank off of.鈥�
Andrew is reported to bench almost 300 pounds. He reportedly can deadlift close to 500 pounds. Along with playing offensive line, Andrew plays defensive tackle as well. In addition, he stars on the school wrestling team.
Coach Pennington offered his take ahead of Andrew鈥檚 junior season.
鈥淒eVries is a mauler,鈥� . 鈥淗e is 6-foot-2, 290, and a very physical kid. I think he is going to be a college football player without question. He is a Division I lineman.鈥�
In the end, he followed his heart. Andrew has long dreamed of becoming a Bulldog, just like his dad. Eric once played at Ferris State himself back in the day. Now Andrew follows him, exactly how it was meant to be.
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