For the love of a brothers football dream.

The Baltimore Ravens chose Devard in the third round of the draft, putting him one step closer to his dream of playing in the NFL. But it wasn't just his dream; it was also Devaughn's, a dream they'd discussed endlessly as they tossed footballs in their backyard. "There are so many situations that are bittersweet for me," Darling said. "My twin brother is not here, he's not physically with me. He's here spiritually, and I know that, and I feel him every day."
Devaughn Darling collapsed and died of an apparent cardiac arrhythmia during an off-season workout at Florida State in February 2001. He was 18, a soon-to-be sophomore linebacker for the Seminoles. Devard was pushing himself through the same workout, a series of sprints and agility drills, when his brother died.
There was never any question whether Devard Darling would continue to play football. He had to; it was what he and his brother loved best. "Twin loss is such a profound, enduring loss," said Nancy Segal, a psychology professor at Cal State-Fullerton and the author of "Entwined Lives," a comprehensive book about twins. "Many identical twins try to keep their twin alive by pursuing the things they did together. Playing football is (Darling's) way of keeping his brother alive." Devard and Devaughn participated in all kinds of sports — track, basketball, swimming — as children in the Bahamas. Track and field seemed to be the logical sport for the twins to pursue: Their cousin, Frank Rutherford, won a bronze medal in the triple jump at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, and their older brother, Dennis, ran on the Bahamas' 4x400 relay team in the 1996 Olympics.
But football fascinated them, even though the Bahamas had no teams. Their father, Dennis Darling, spent his Sunday afternoons watching the Miami Dolphins on television, the twins at his side. Their mother would buy them football pajamas and underwear on shopping trips to Florida. The twins were 12 when they moved to the Houston area with their mother and two sisters and finally got their chance to play organized football. They became so good that they had their choice of top colleges. Devaughn, a linebacker who doted on his slightly older brother, let Devard decide which school the twins would attend. Devard chose Florida State. After Devaughn's death, Florida State officials said the school would honor Devard's scholarship, but it would not clear him to play football because he had the same sickle-cell trait as his brother. So he searched for another school that would allow him to play, undergoing countless medical exams along the way. He wound up at Washington State, where he started 26 games and caught 104 passes for 1,630 yards and 18 touchdowns in two years. Darling declared for the NFL draft after his junior season. "The one thing that took his brother's life, you'd think he'd fear it," said Monique Smith, the twins' older sister. "But he doesn't. He attacks it with a different perspective." Darling's brother is conspicuous by his presence, small reminders and tributes that Devard keeps close. He wears the silver chain that his brother had around his neck when he died. He puts a picture of Devaughn, in a Florida State uniform, inside his pads when he plays. ("I got smart and I got it laminated," said Darling.) He taps his chest twice and points to the sky after every touchdown he scores. "I don't mind thinking about my brother all of the time," Darling said. "He gives me strength, he gives me inspiration. It's not always sad times when I think about him. He actually picks me up and makes me feel better. When I'm out there on the field, I'm doing something I love." Darling, 22, will resume working toward his dream of playing in the NFL on July 29, when the Ravens report for training camp. It will be hot, for sure, at McDaniel College in Westminster, Md., when the Ravens begin practicing the following day.
"I would have to say that Devard Darling is in the top three or four guys I've ever interviewed as a college draft choice," Newsome said. "He was very impressive when he sat in that seat: his demeanor, the way he carried himself, the way he spoke, his convictions about doing things for his brother."

posted by Anonymous @ 8:59 AM

---