It was the still of the night in a quiet neighborhood in the Linden area on the northeast side of Columbus. Bullets ripped through the air. The fire lasted only a few seconds, but it only takes a second to change a life.

That night five years ago, life changed for 15-year-old Devin Harris. His best friend, Rick Wallace, also 15, was killed in a drive-by shooting. But the loss of Wallace's life may have ended up saving Harris.

Harris, now a sophomore at Case Western Reserve University, and Wallace played football for Jeffrey Tarver and the Capital City Saints. Many say the nickname "saint" definitely fits Tarver, who ran the Christian Youth Association and was known as Coach "T" to the kids.

Tarver said he has always liked Harris. He had liked Wallace, too, and didn't want to see Harris meet the same fate.

"After that incident," Tarver said, "I talked to Devin's mother (Beverly) and told her in order for him to excel, we needed to get him out of the neighborhood."

The two families decided that Harris would move in with Tarver in Westerville, a suburb of Columbus.

"It was tough for my mom," Harris said. "I'm the youngest of four children, and it was tough for her to let me go. But she knew it was best for me."

The move has paid big dividends for Harris. His world changed thanks to the care of Tarver, a man he now calls Dad.

"The fine line between failure and success is opportunity," Tarver said.

Tarver took Harris to educational workshops and involved him in community service. He also made sure the teen never missed a football camp.

"Dad did it all for me," Harris said with a smile. "He taught me life lessons and was always there to tell me he loved me. He opened up a lot of doors for me and then let me choose which one to walk through."

Harris became a star in football and track at Westerville North High School. He became a student of science along the way, too.

"Engineering was something I always liked," he said. "I really like science and math a lot."

Today, he's a chemical engineering major at Case, one of the nation's leading research institutions, and he plays three sports, one each in the fall, winter and summer seasons.

He does it using the lessons—like managing his time and balancing work and play-Tarver has taught him.

"You have to budget your time here," Harris said. "There is not a lot of free time, so sports are a lot of work. But it gives me that little bit of space I want from academics."

Rookie rating

Harris plays football in the fall and runs track in both the winter (indoor) and spring (outdoor). Harris started in the defensive backfield (corner) for the Spartans last season as a freshman and finished 10th on the team in tackles with 31.5. He also had two interceptions. On the track during the indoor season, he ran the 55 meters (best time and school record 6.68), the 200 (23.60) and was a member of the 4x400 and 4x100 meter relays. Outdoor, he ran the 100 (11.24) and 200 (22.77). Harris, in just his rookie season, was named the men's track and field MVP and was also All-UAA.

Return to the online edition of the 9-11-03 Campus News.