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New Bulls basketball player one of the oldest in the country
FOX 13's Mark Skol Jr. reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - USF guard Devin Haid does not take any play for granted.
"I just play super hard and do whatever it takes to win," Haid said.
That whatever-it-takes mentality shown by the senior Bull is not just shown on the basketball court, but in life.
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What they're saying:
"Dev's got unbelievable grit," USF head basketball coach Bryan Hodgson said. "He beat down doors to get here."
That's no exaggeration. His journey is more unique than most.
"There was one point in my life where I didn't think I was going to go back and play college basketball," Haid said. "It was super tough going through that time."
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The backstory:
That's because Haid did not get a scholarship right out of high school. He wasn't in college at all. Instead, he was working at a Walmart.
"Definitely didn't enjoy it," Haid said. "Definitely just wanted to play basketball. The whole time I was there, I was thinking about playing basketball."
He spent three years stocking shelves at Walmart starting in 2018 but, eventually in 2021, basketball came calling.
"I put myself in different gyms in front of different coaches and finally just got a chance," Haid said.
Dig deeper:
At 22 years old, when most kids are graduating from undergrad, Haid got his chance to play JUCO ball at Cuyahoga Community College. He then played at the Division II level at Notre Dame College before heading to a low major Division I program in Central Connecticut State before eventually landing at USF.
"We only live once, so why not go back to college if I could," Haid said. "I ran with it. I couldn't let that opportunity go to waste."
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He certainly has not done that. His teammates call him "Unc" as he is by far the elder statesmen on the team at 26 years old, but his work ethic and wisdom have earned him respect in the locker room.
"Just really proud of him and who he is as a man and the leadership qualities he displays every day," Hodgson said.
And every day Haid is thankful to be a USF Bull.
"It's been great," Haid said. "It's really just been a dream come true. Always dreamt about playing at this level. It has been fun."
What's next:
Haid and the Bulls play Wednesday night at Tulane.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Mark Skol, Jr. during an interview with Devin Haid following a USF men's basketball practice.