Mike DeVito - #70
Team: New York Jets
Born: June 10, 1984
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
College: University of Maine
Twitter: @MikeDeVito70
Mike DeVito pursues the NFL’s top quarterbacks to earn a living, but it’s his pursuit of Christ—and Christ’s pursuit of him through a college team-mate—that has forever changed his life and the lives of many others.
The New York Jets’ defensive tackle got his start—both spiritually and athletically—at the University of Maine, where he earned a business degree and All-Atlantic 10 conference honors. DeVito had no previous relationship with Christ, but during his sophomore year he began to explore his spirituality and was actually baptized into the Mormon faith.
"A couple of Mormon missionaries came to our house," he said. "They'd stopped by before, and I guess I had shown enough interest in what they were saying, so they came back and began teaching me about Jesus in their way."
But DeVito’s experience with Mormonism didn’t last long, as his teammate Matt Mulligan—a solid Christian—one day asked how he was doing.
“It was as simple as that,” DeVito said. “We sat down and started talking. Before long, Matt shared God’s Word with me and was showing me all sorts of powerful Scriptures. He took me under his wing and showed me the true way, and I’m forever grateful to him for that.”
DeVito’s first encounter at Mulligan’s church was a true “wow” experience, as he said he immediately felt God’s presence and realized it was truly all about Him.
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Born in New York, it was an easy choice for DeVito to sign a free-agent contract with the Jets when they offered. The 6-3, 305-pounder made
the team’s 53-man roster in 2007 and moved into a starting role three seasons later.
"I've been a Jets fan my whole life," DeVito said. "My whole family is from New York, so it was like a homecoming coming back here to play for the Jets. I thank God for it every day. It's a true blessing, and I don't ever want to take it for granted."
It really was a homecoming, because DeVito has been blessed with the chance to share Christ at Nauset (Mass.) Regional High School, where he starred more than a decade ago. He helped provide new jerseys for the football team, and he and his father, Vin, serve alongside the Nauset FCA leaders to share Christ with Huddle members.
DeVito, who had no relationship with Jesus growing up, relishes the opportunity to introduce youngsters to Christ through football, especially when they’re at such an impressionable age with so much temptation around them.
"This is a time in these kids' lives that will affect their trajectory and future plans," he said. "In high school, everyone seems to look up to the football players, so you start with them. When the 'top' group reflects Christ and walks with Him, other kids will see that, and they'll want to know about Him, too. We want the harvest to multiply throughout the school and throughout Cape Cod."
Last season, DeVito began writing weekly letters to the Nauset football team, hoping to motivate the players and help them grasp the powerful connection between Christianity and sports.
"The letters are simple," FCA board member Frank DeStefano said, "and Vin reads them aloud during the team’s pregame meal. They always in-clude words of encouragement and a brief piece of Scripture."
“He really touches the hearts of many players,” DeStefano said, “and it’s great prep for our games.”
It's an opportunity DeVito doesn't take lightly.
“The letters give me a chance to speak to the team about Christ—which is most important—but it also gives me a chance to talk to them about football,” he said. “Christian athletes get stereotyped sometimes. Either we're soft, or we're somehow not tough enough to play the game the right way. I just try to break that down and let these kids know what men of God are called to be—we're called to be warriors.”
DeVito wants those warriors to learn how to play for an audience of One, saying it’s “vital that we live a life where people can see God in us.”
Last December, DeVito hosted members of Nauset's FCA Huddle at the Jets’ chapel service. DeStefano called it an “unbelievable experience” that had a huge impact on DeVito.
“As I looked at Mike,” DeStefano said, “he seemed to be in awe of something. When I asked him about it, he just shook his head and said how
amazed he was at what was happening at his old high school through FCA and how these kids were connecting to Jesus through the ministry.”
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New York Jets' Mike DeVito
In the midst of his sixth season with the Jets, DeVito is tremendously excited about the team from a football and spiritual perspective. There’s talent on both sides of the ball and a number of young, gifted players are on fire for Christ.
Older, more mature Christian teammates have moved on, leading to an infusion of youth. DeVito’s been encouraged by the attendance at the weekly chapel, led by former NHL defenseman Adam Burt.
"That's one thing that's great about football,” he said. “A lot of guys recognize that you can't do it on your own, and they recognize their need for Christ through it. We’re not in church most Sundays during the season, but a lot of guys have strong relationships with God."
Burt, now a New York pastor who serves as the Jets' chaplain, leads services for the team every Saturday night. DeVito said the guys instantly respect him because he’s a former athlete and has “been there before,” but he’s also a phenomenal preacher who’s very relatable.
“He can build bridges between the Gospel and real-world experience,” DeVito said, “which is really good for newer believers who are trying to grasp who God is.”
Last year, during the NFL lockout, DeVito took a leap of faith and delivered his first sermon at Burt's Relevant Christian Church.
“The saying goes that ‘NFL’ stands for ‘Not For Long,’” he said. “I'd been trying to figure out what God's path is for me after football, and I feel called to preach His Word. But to preach, you need to know the material and know what you're talking about. I can talk about football all day, because I know everything about it.
“The more important question is, ‘How well do I know the Gospel?’ Do I know Jesus well enough where I can go up there and He can work through me to transform lives? Football has given me the opportunity to go and speak to kids and to speak at churches, colleges and other events, and I need to use this platform to advance the Kingdom.”
In fact, one of the first sermons DeVito heard Burt preach has made a lasting impact on his daily walk with Christ.
“The concept was simple—live like you're dying,” DeVito said. “I pray daily for God to teach me that, so I can make the most of every breath and every second I have here on earth. There are three things that are important to me: Jesus, my wife and football. For me, living like I'm dying means taking the time I've been given and allocating it to those priorities.
“I have been blessed to have a lot of great mentors who I look up to and have guided me along the way. The one thing that is consistent with all of them is that they reflect Christ, and you can instantly see that about them. I want to walk as a living epistle, and I pray daily that, when people look at me, they see Christ first—not a football player—and because of that, they'd want to know Him."
Originally Published: November 2012
Photos courtesy of the New York Jets