Sharlene Willock’s dogs jolt her awake every day at 5 a.m., begging to be let outside. “Kodie, it’s too early,” Sharlene says to the black labrador mix.
Between her and Sharlene’s other dog, Nova, Kodie is always the initiator of the two. “Go back to bed.” Kodie doesn’t listen very often, but Sharlene can never stay mad at her. She is, after all, Devin’s dog.
Sharlene used to speak with her son, Devin Willock, close to this time in the morning, as he made his way to class at the University of Georgia and she made her way to work as a nurse practitioner in New York. The regular check-ins were like clockwork for the mother and son. Until earlier this year – until the day tragedy repeated itself for the Willock family, and he was gone. Devin was an offensive lineman, No. 77 for the University of Georgia football team, who played in both national championship victories in 2021 and 2022. But beyond that, according to his family and friends, he was extraordinary.
“Devin, he was excited about this year,” Sharlene said. “This was going to be his year. He planned, he was going to work hard, he said he was going to do what he had to do. He was going to get it done this year. He was ready.”
Devin grew up in a boisterous household of five — with his two brothers, Dave Willock and Jonathan Wheatley, and his parents, Sharlene and Dave Willock. Their home in New Milford, New Jersey, was located in a town that felt familiar to Devin, but which now feels big to Sharlene.
The house sits on the corner of the street with white and brown brick, plants and colorful trees decorating its front lawn. The biggest tree was planted by Sharlene, her mother and her three sons years ago on Mother’s Day.
A house with three boys was never quiet and never boring, according to Sharlene. Her days off from work were often characterized by debates with her sons on what to watch in the living room — her favorite show, “Law & Order,” or football. The three boys would typically band together on such issues. They were best friends, brought close by their shared love of food, roller coaster rides and, most evidently, football.
All three boys had their playing time. Jonathan, Devin and Dave’s stepbrother, pursued his football career as a lineman at Bergen Community College in New Jersey. Dave played football for years as both a defensive and offensive lineman until he got to college. Once he graduated, Devin took over the No. 77 from him at New Milford High School.
In 2009, tragedy struck the Willock family for the first time. In September of that year, Wheatley was a backseat passenger in a vehicle collision with four of his friends on the way home from a party in Queens, New York. He was hospitalized for two weeks before he died of his injuries on Sept. 24. He was 20 at the time.
Sharlene has always made sure to treasure her sons and the time she has with them. Her days as a nurse practitioner were always different and always changing – it was one of her favorite parts of the job. But the one constant she looked forward to each day were their phone calls. She often recalls how good of a listener Devin was.
“Devin made being a mother very easy,” Sharlene said. “He was always cognizant of decisions that he made, how it would impact his family. ... He took those things to heart ... and I think a lot of that came from the fact that he had such a loss at such a young age.”
One of the only times Sharlene can recall Devin not listening to her was a decision that has since impacted her life the most, in a good way – bringing home Kodie. Devin got the puppy during his sophomore year from a rescue organization with his girlfriend Kate Moseley, a senior management information systems major at UGA.
Sharlene had always advised Devin not to get a dog because of his hectic football schedule, but his mind was set. And after seeing Kodie, so was hers.
“When Devin wanted something, he’s gonna get it regardless,” Sharlene said. “You could talk to him [until] you’re blue in the face. He’s like, ‘I’m doing it.’”
Devin managed to take care of Kodie for a while, having others dog-sit when he would travel for football. But ultimately, as Sharlene predicted, it was too much. During his offseason, Devin made his way home to New Jersey with Moseley, Kodie sitting in his backseat.
Christian Maldonado, Devin’s assistant coach at Paramus Catholic High School, recalls getting a worried call from him on his drive up.
“I’m coming home, but my mom’s going to be mad,” Maldonado recalls Devin telling him. “I just got a dog and she doesn’t know. And I’m bringing the dog home.”
In one of her first visits back to Paramus after Devin’s death, Sharlene heard this story from Maldonado’s perspective for the first time. She learns new, little things like this each time she talks with those who knew and loved Devin. She finds joy in them.
Sharlene’s early mornings, once spent talking with her son, are now spent with Kodie. She often wonders if the dog misses Devin sometimes too.
Moseley, too, tells Sharlene sweet stories of her times with Devin — like how Devin used to bring Lactaid to their ice cream dates because of her lactose intolerance. She finds comfort in reminiscing on the times they shared, the dreams they had after college and Devin’s contagious positivity.
“He just had such a joy for life,” Moseley said. “His positivity and love for life was really one of my favorite things about him, and I could go on and on.”
Coaches and friends speak highly of Devin’s ability to listen, connect with people and be a leader on and off the field. “Devin was much better than advertised,” Maldonado said. “Take football out of it, take him going to the University of Georgia out of it, make everything even. This guy was world class, and was the complete gentleman, in every sense of the word.”
At Paramus Catholic, football players are now required to prove themselves before they can wear Devin’s jersey number, 77. The players will soon be wearing No. 77 decals on their helmets in honor of Devin.
“[To wear No. 77], you have to be an honor student. You have to be a guy that's involved in your community. You have to be a guy that's a leader, a captain, because Devin was when he was here,” Maldonado said.
The current holder of the jersey, senior Juan Minaya, was like a little brother to Devin, according to Maldonado. Minaya reached out to Devin before transferring to Paramus Catholic for advice, and through countless conversations, visits and workouts, their relationship grew from there.
According to his coaches, that was who Devin was – a big brother, a leader and an overall respectful person. The only time Coach Whitehead can ever recall hearing Devin yell was at other students giving their teacher a “rough time”.
“He was a Southern gentleman, but lived [in the North],” Whitehead said. “He really was a gentleman. He really was.”
Devin had always been the sweetest and the biggest of his friend group growing up. His towering 6-foot-7-inch stature and 335-pound build contrasted his bright smile and gentle disposition that followed his every word.
It was Eddie Prevot, the father of Devin’s friend Shane, who first recruited him for football in the fourth grade. Devin was excited to start playing. His first response, though, according to Prevot — “You have to ask my mom.”
Sharlene couldn’t see it at first. Devin was too much of a kind, gentle spirit to be involved in such an aggressive sport. But in spite of that, she said yes.
“I look at football as being a rough sport,” Sharlene said. “One of the coaches was saying that he would kind of like, rile Devin up just to get him to go out there and be aggressive. But he did what he had to do. Football was football, and then there was life, right?”
After his first day of playing in the junior league, though, Devin quit. It was too hot, and he hated running. He did, however, remain extremely close with the Prevot family.
Friday nights of games, Coach Prevot’s famous New York strip steaks, mashed potatoes and puzzles were what Devin, Shane and their friends looked forward to each weekend. Shane’s mother, Renee Prevot, would pick out a puzzle each Friday to work on, and Devin would spend hours helping her complete them.
Renee keeps a few things of Devin to remind her of him each day — his No. 77 Georgia jersey, a few No. 77 sweatshirts, a newspaper from his funeral and a laminated playercard on her bathroom dresser.
“He’s with me every day,” Renee said.
