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Before asking Husker fans to meet the first former NFL general manager to lead a college football program’s player personnel department, let’s examine a couple of Nebraska-related cases that prove Billy Devaney innately knows how to dig deep, find, identify, evaluate and then develop talent for the NFL, a league he’s served throughout his adult life.

Nebraska football’s new executive director of player personnel and special assistant to Husker head coach Mike Riley, Billy is not related to Bob Devaney, NU’s late legendary coach. Billy did, however, share a heart-warming experience he had with Coach Devaney one memorable afternoon in Bob’s first-floor office inside Memorial Stadium.

We’ll describe that intriguing experience toward the end of this N-Sider simply because it’s more timely and relevant to mention two Nebraska-related stories that helped pave the way for Billy to accept a unique fulltime position and work directly for Riley, a longtime friend who has stayed in constant contact with Devaney for decades.

Eichorst Was the First to Recommend that Riley Create a Unique Staff Position

Nebraska Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst (pictured above) was the first to recommend that Riley create a unique position on his staff to differentiate the Huskers’ overall approach from all others in the Big Ten Conference and beyond.

Steve Waterfield, who reports to Eichorst and assists him with the day-to-day administration of Nebraska’s football program, was equally enamored with the brainstorming idea to try something dramatically different in the overall process, so the Huskers can enhance their chances to compete for championships.

With that backdrop in mind, we now offer up two captivating stories that underscore how an NFL talent guru loved everything about Nebraska whenever he came to Lincoln to evaluate talent and why he has unfathomable appreciation for everything Nebraska stands for, not to mention how the Huskers have built their incredible tradition.

Nebraska fascinating football fact No. 1 is Billy Devaney’s unique perspective in finding John Parrella and then enabling the Husker walk-on and newly named Nebraska defensive line coach to play 12 seasons in the NFL. Parrella’s dozen years in the NFL include an eight-year stint that allowed him to play three seasons under Riley in San Diego, followed by the opportunity to start for Oakland in the Super Bowl.

Billy Devaney Intrinsically Knew Janovich’s Talent Before Other NFL Scouts

Nebraska fascinating football fact No. 2 is something Billy Devaney intrinsically knew before other NFL talent scouts had even heard of Andy Janovich, a Husker fullback and special teams star who emerged from the short shadows in which he played his first three seasons at Nebraska to marquee status in the NFL Combine after spending one season with Riley and his staff.

Devaney and Parrella finished signing their UNL Human Resources forms to join Nebraska’s football staff almost simultaneously. "I've known Billy Devaney a long time,” Parrella told me. “Being part of this staff is unbelievable. Mike Riley (pictured above with Janovich on Senior Day) understands what it's going to take to achieve our ultimate goal. That’s why he brings in a guy like Billy Devaney, who has evaluated college personnel for 30-plus years.

“Billy found me in the early ‘90s when no one else did, and he gave me an incredible opportunity,” Parrella said. “There were more than 30 teams in the NFL and he’s the only one who said, 'Hey, you want a job? You want to get yourself playing football again?' It speaks volumes to me that Mike Riley brought in somebody with Billy’s expertise. It shows what our head coach is all about. His level of expertise and his knowledge of what it's going to take to go where we want to go is incredible.”

Devaney also remembers being in Lincoln last August before the Huskers launched their 2015 season. Serving as a scout for the Atlanta Falcons, he asked Riley about upcoming prospects. “I’ll never forget what he told me when we were standing in the indoor facility and having a walk-through,” Devaney said. “Mike kept telling me to keep an eye on this fullback they have because he’s tough enough and versatile enough to play at the next level. Mike gushed about Janovich, a guy I didn’t even have down to look at or check out. Mike knows what it takes, so I took a close look at him.”

The Secret Was Out, Enabling the World to See Jano’s Toughness, Athleticism

One inside look later, Devaney joined the chorus. “Wow, this guy really is tough,’” he remembers telling Riley. “I remember Mike calling me the day after the Miami game and telling me to take a look at special teams and the job Andy did that day. It was one of the best special teams’ performances he’d ever seen, so I looked at it and immediately ran down to Keith Armstrong, our (Atlanta Falcons) special teams coach.”

Film became the proof for those willing to focus on Janovich. “I told Keith ‘I have a guy for you. I know you’re not thinking about the draft right now, but you have to see this guy from Nebraska,’” Devaney remembers saying. Once Armstrong saw the same film, he asked Devaney not tell anybody else about Andy Janovich (pictured above in Nebraska's 37-29 bowl win over UCLA).

The Secrecy Ended When Janovich Showcased Every Hidden Talent and More

A few weeks later, an NFL special teams coach and his primary scout knew silence would no longer be golden. The word was out. Janovich showcased every hidden talent and then some with a masterful, breakout performance in Nebraska’s last-minute loss to Wisconsin.

“That young man kept running up and down the field,” Devaney said. “He was catching passes, running the ball, blocking and scoring. I’m screaming at the TV and asking Mike what he’s doing with my super-sleeper draft pick. Now the whole world knows about our hidden guy. The next time I talked to Mike, I kidded him and told him not to give Jano the ball anymore because we don’t want anyone to know about this guy. Mike said the secret’s already out because everybody in the world knows about Andy now. My point in all of this is that Mike had a strong feeling about Andy before Nebraska even played its first game. He knows what it takes to be great.”

I asked Devaney (pictured above) where Janovich might get drafted. “It depends on what system you’re running,” Devaney said. “A lot of teams don’t even carry a fullback. Other teams put a heavy premium on fullbacks, so Andy will appeal to them. Andy’s value is his ability to pass protect. He’s a core special-teamer who can be a short-yardage rusher. He also has run skills. You win with the kind of guy he is. Everybody preaches running with toughness, and Janovich epitomizes the kind of toughness the NFL’s looking for. It’ll be interesting. Andy’s not a first-day guy and probably not a second-day guy, but he’s going to go higher than people expect.”
 

In His Own Inimitable Style, Bob Devaney Treated Billy Devaney Like Family

We end this N-Sider with the uncanny thought of Nebraska having another Devaney as a football executive. Even though they’re not related, Billy Devaney will never forget how he ended up in Bob Devaney’s office on an impromptu day decades ago.

“It was early in my scouting career and I had a visit at Nebraska,” Billy recalled. “Coach Devaney (above) was retired at that point, but he had an office on the first floor where the old football office was and I went by at some point of the day to see if I could say hello to him. He wasn't in, so I left my business card on his desk. After practice, I happened to look in again, and Coach Devaney was in there. I said, 'Coach, I left my card. I just wanted to stop in and say 'Hello.’''

Bob Devaney told Billy he had the card and “wanted to make sure I didn't leave because I was one of the few people that pronounce our last name the correct way,” Billy said. “Bob started laughing and said, 'I was hoping you'd say DUH-van-EE.' Once I confirmed we pronounced our last name the same way, we started talking. He asked where I was from and everything about my background. We made kind of small talk and I said, 'Coach, I don't want to take up your time,' and he kind of laughed and said, 'Oh, hell, that's all I've got is time. Sit down.' So I sat there, and I was absolutely in awe.

“I was just getting started in my scouting career. I kept thinking how great it was to be sitting with Bob Devaney and hearing him tell his favorite stories and comparing notes with him. I kept pinching myself, saying 'This can't be real.' To this day, it was one of the most enjoyable afternoons in my scouting career. Bob Devaney made me feel so comfortable. Once I relaxed and we started talking football, we talked about the Nebraska players I was scouting, the Nebraska players that had left and ones who played in the NFL. Once we started those conversations, I was like, 'Wow, we're just talking ball.’ He made me feel completely at ease. Bob Devaney’s definitely one of college football’s greatest legends."

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