Wednesday, Oct. 01, 2008

Football family helps MNU's Deavours heal

Mike Deavours is used to blind-siding people.

In three seasons since transferring to MidAmerica Nazarene University from the University of Northern Colorado, Deavours has recorded 82 tackles, including 27 for a loss, blocked two kicks, recovered five fumbles and sacked opposing quarterbacks 10.5 times.

He's been a menace on the field and a stand-up guy away from it.

But Sept. 2 it was Deavours who got blind-sided.

Four days before the Pioneers opened the season at home against Lindenwood University, MNU coach Jed Stugart popped in at his 23-year-old star defensive end's house.

"I was surprised to see Coach Stugart at my door, and I thought he was there to talk football or something," Deavours recalled.

Football, unfortunately, was the farthest thing from Stugart's mind.

He sat Deavours down and looked him square in the eye, much like Deavours' father, Mark, would do when he had something important to tell his son.

"It's not good at all," Stugart would say.

Deavours' mind raced as his coach insisted he phone his mother, Kathy, who was back home in Loveland, Colo. Stugart then picked up his phone, dialed the number, handed the phone to Deavours and squeezed the Pioneers senior's shoulder.

Moments later, he sat in silence on the phone with his sobbing mother for a few minutes before she broke the news that Deavours' father had died.

At 55, Mark Deavours was gone.

"It was really sudden," Deavours said. "He was a healthy guy and had a good heart for all we knew, but it turns out that he had a heart attack."

Why does it seem like the guys who have the biggest hearts also seem to have the most fragile ones?

"My family always said he was the kindest, gentlest soul that we know of on this earth," Mike said. "But obviously, it was the hardest thing I've ever been through. I didn't understand what was going on at first. It was kind of like waking up from a bad dream."

The quiet moments, when the world slows down, no one's around and Deavours can pick up his Bible or try to get some sleep frequently still have a surreal quality. But he knows it isn't a dream. He just misses his father.

"He's on my mind with every step that I take," Deavours said. "He was our rock, and we all felt lost when it first happened. I guess I'm doing all right now, but he was not only a dad to me; he was my best friend. It's kind of like losing two people."

Football has been a mixed blessing since that fateful Tuesday for Deavours. It was the No. 1 thing the Deavours men shared, which has made it tough, Deavours said.

After the ball is snapped, Deavours is focused on making a play — getting a tackle, pressuring the quarterback or, his favorite, getting a sack.

When the whistle blows to end a play, though, his mind drifts immediately to thoughts of his father — every play. The toughest moments can be the ones he knows would have made his father the most proud.

"I really just want to call him after every game and let him know how well we've done," Deavours said.

The team, which is ranked No. 6 in the NAIA, has dedicated the season to Mark Deavours' memory. Still, Mike Deavours finds himself a little envious when he sees teammates talking with their parents after games, but he also knows that one of his father's greatest joys was watching him play football.

Deavours especially missed his father after a 37-16 win Saturday at William Jewell College. Mark used to hound Cardinals fans on NAIA football message boards, making bets with them about the outcome of MNU-WJC games.

"He'd tell them that if Jewell wins, he'll change his screen name to Jewell Rules or something like that," Deavours said. "My dad used to tell me, 'Son, whatever you do, you better not lose to Jewell.' I can't hear the word Jewell without thinking about my dad."

That made the win bittersweet as the Pioneers improved to 4-0.

MNU, of course, is only 3-0 with Deavours this season because he was in New Mexico, where his father grew up, for the funeral as his Pioneers teammates took on the Lions in the season-opener.

"My dad was probably mad at me for not being there playing (the Lindenwood game), but my eyes definitely teared up when I heard they won because I knew my dad touched them," Deavours said.

Edward Hawkins wrote a message about Deavours' "pops" on his wrist. Every time he looked down, Hawkins saw it and thought of his grieving teammate and Mark.

"Then he comes up with a huge interception," said Deavours, referring to a pick Hawkins nabbed to seal the 26-16 win over the ninth-ranked Lions. "It was just real special. When a tragedy happens like this, I know I definitely rely on these guys like family. Every one of them wrote me a message or sent me a text or told me I was in their prayers. It made me very grateful."

Still, all the comforting only helps so much.

"My dad called me every night, and I miss that the most," Deavours said. "I wish I could just have one more. It's kind of selfish because I know he's in a better place and everything, but I wish I could bring him down here or have him call me from heaven just one more time."

There are tough days still to come, too. Thanksgiving and Christmas will be brutal, Mark's birthday — he would have turned 56 on Dec. 15 — also will be tough. Just one thing might make that day a bit more tolerable: football practice.

If MNU has not turned in its gear for the season by that point, it means Mike Deavours and his teammates would be gearing up for the 53rd Annual Russell-NAIA Football National Championship, which will be played at 11 a.m. Dec. 20 in Rome, Ga.

It also would mean somewhere Mark Deavours is smiling.

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