Devontae Booker

Classroom

Devonte Booker has gone from an academic non-qualifier out of high school to a first-team Academic All-Pac-12 Team selection who will receive a degree in sociology following the fall semester. While he hopes for a career in the NFL, he would like to use his degree to mentor youth on ways to succeed in life.

Character

Booker was voted as a team captain by his teammates for his senior season, demonstrating the value of his leadership to the team. He considered entering the NFL draft following his junior season, but one of the big reasons he returned to Utah was to receive his degree, noting that he has seen a lot of people go to college who don’t actually finish. Using his degree to give back to the community and mentor youth is important to him. Academically, he persevered to become a qualifier through junior college, including sitting out the 2013 season after narrowly missing the qualification requirements.

Community

Booker visits local elementary schools and speaks to groups as part of Utah football’s summer camps. His primary message to youth is that anything is possible and that they shouldn’t let someone tell them that they can’t do something. He also stresses the importance of staying in school.

Competition

A first-team All-Pac-12 running back in 2014, Booker ranked 21st in the NCAA with 116.3 rushing yards per game (130.1 in conference games) as a junior college transfer, even while playing sparingly in the first three games behind the incumbent. His 1,512 net yards included a Pac-12-best 815 yards after contact—almost 200 more than his closest contender. He had seven 100-yard rushing games and his 229 rushing yards at Oregon State was the best single-game rushing total in the Pac-12 in 2014. Booker also finished 17th in the nation in all-purpose yards per game (144.2). He had 43 receptions for 306 yards and two touchdowns.