School: Central Bucks East
Football, Wrestling
Favorite athlete: Jerome Bettis
Favorite team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Favorite memory competing in sports: The CB East/CB West football games
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that happened while competing in sports: “During a game, my pants were pulled down on a tackle.”
Music on iPod: Christmas Carols
Future plans: Attend college for business
Words to live by: “Tomorrow is never promised.”
One goal before turning 30: “Get married to a wonderful person.”
One thing people don’t know about me: Volunteer for the Special Olympics the past three years.
Dave Scarpill has at least 12 seniors on this year’s wrestling team. He chose just one to lead the squad.
“I only picked Devon as captain,” the Central Bucks East coach said. “He’s the guy.”
Passman is one of those special athletes who has found a way to excel in two sports, and best of all, he has worn the mantle of star with dignity and class.
“He’s one of those kids that has an intrinsic desire to succeed,” East football coach Tim Michael said. “He doesn’t need a lot of motivation, and I find at this level typically kids want to know what’s in it for them – tell me why I should do this.
“Devon doesn’t need the carrot constantly placed in front of him. That’s not uncommon for our kids, but it’s refreshing to see someone as talented as he is remain so very grounded. He’s a team player first and an individual second. He was just a joy to be around and a great kid to coach.”
During a standout senior football season, Passman rushed the ball for over 1,300 yards, this on the heels of a 1,000-yard season as a junior. He also played linebacker on the defensive side of the football.
For those who say that at 5-8, 180 he’s too small to play college football, Michael begs to differ.
“There’s no doubt Devon could start next year for almost any Division 3 program in the state,” the Patriots’ coach said. “I would think there are some Division 2’s and 1AA’s who are going to take a shot at this kid and really get a gold mine.
“Watching him on film is one thing. To be around him and realize what a great young man he is – he’s just a really great kid of character. He’s far more mature for his age than you generally run into. He doesn’t have an ego.”
One hundred yard games were the norm for Passman, and in East’s 29-6 win over archrival Central Bucks West this fall, he rushed for an astounding 273 yards.
“His size has never been an issue for him playing in one of the most competitive leagues in the state,” Michael said. “There’s no doubt he can be very, very successful at the collegiate level.
“He’s levelheaded and realizes this will be it for him. He’s intelligent enough to know he’s going to use this to get the best education he possibly can. I give him a lot of credit for being very mature and levelheaded, and I give his parents a lot of credit for having raised a really nice young man.”
On the wrestling mat, Passman is the standard bearer at East. He is the first junior in the history of the school to reach the 100-win mark and entered his senior season with 102 wins.
“He’s just an all-around athlete,” Scarpil said. “He’s built to compete.
“He’s built to run the football, and he’s built to pin kids. He’s done it all his life. That much experience and that natural-born build – mix in some talent with it, and you’re going to go places.”
Passman has already gone places.
As a freshman, he served notice that he would be a force to be reckoned with when he finished sixth at 145 in districts. He advanced to regionals when the fifth place wrestler was injured and could not compete.
He improved on that as a sophomore when advanced to the consolations of regionals – finishing just one step away from states.
Last year, he took the next step, finishing second at districts, third at regionals and advancing to states where he lost his first two matches.
What are his goals for this season?
“Right now I haven’t really focused on that too much,” Passman said. “I was there (at states) last year, so just getting there this year wouldn’t be very fulfilling. I need to step it up and place to really fulfill this year’s goals.”
Passman has been wrestling since he was in third grade – a career that began with the Central Bucks Raiders community program. A year later, he upped the ante and was competing in the more competitive travel circuit.
In seventh grade, Passman began playing football and somehow managed to continue playing soccer as well.
“Sometimes I would go from a game to practice,” he said. “It worked out pretty well.”
He gave up soccer the middle of eighth grade.
“I chose football,” he said. “I always knew I was going to eventually play football.
“Once I started, I had so much fun with it I couldn’t let it go.”
Not a whole lot has changed since then, and given a choice, Passman would choose to play football at the collegiate level.
“Wrestling is a love-hate sport,” he said. “Losing in wrestling – there’s no worse feeling, but winning and knowing it was all on you is such a good feeling.
“I feel wrestlers are different than any other athlete. Through cutting weight and the fact that you can’t have anyone else bail you out – it’s all on you. It’s a lot of pressure.”
It is the cutting weight that requires a special mental toughness.
“Every time it’s like – why am I doing this to myself?” Passman said. “At the same time, it’s a part of the sport. It’s just a mentality you have to have. This is part of it, and I just have to suck it up. It will all be worth it at match time.
“Nothing is comparable to wrestling. In football, you have 10 other guys, so if you mess up, you have 10 other games to save your butt or blame. Wrestling is more personal. You don’t have anyone helping you – it’s all on you. There’s nothing like it, but it’s one of those sports that just wears on you. If you’re not 100 percent committed, it’s hard to stay with it.”
Passman opened his senior wrestling season in impressive fashion, winning the championship in his weight class (171) at the Southeast Classic, and Scarpill says he would like a roster full of Devon Passmans.
“He’s amazing,” the Patriots’ coach said. “He’s a coach’s dream. He does everything you ask. He never complains, never gives you attitude. He’s a pretty quiet kid when it comes to pushing other kids, but he’s developing into a leader.”
As for choosing a college, Passman – who plans to major in business/marketing - is leaving the door wide open.
“You never know what comes your way,” he said.
Several Patriot League schools are at the top of Passman’s list of possible college choices, and he is also receiving considerable interest from Division 2 schools.
“There’s still the option I might try and do both (sports) at a smaller school,” he said.
Passman will leave East with a list of accomplishments a mile long, but that has never been important as the friendships he’s made along the way to this two-sport star.
“I have talked to people who played at college and even levels beyond it, and they said the friendships you make in high school are incomparable,” he said. “You’ve been with these guys 10 years, 12 years. No matter what your season held or wherever you go from this point on – whether you go to Division 3, Penn State or the NFL, that sense of camaraderie is never that strong.”
And it’s the memories of those friendships that will stay with Passman long after the memories of the wins and milestones have faded.
