Devon Bibbens, a senior wide receiver on the Lehigh football team, had been training at Test Football Academy in New Jersey before the coronavirus outbreak, hoping to be selected in the 2020 NFL Draft taking place between April 23-25.
Due to COVID-19, Bibbens missed out on three pro days at Temple and Delaware, where he would have been able to showcase his talents accrued at Test Football Academy and at Lehigh.
“Luckily, I was able to be in front of scouts at the FCS Bowl and Tropical FCS Bowl,” Bibbens said.
For Bibbens, playing in these bowl games affirmed he is where he belongs. At the Tropical Bowl, Bibbens said he was able to show he could consistently get open against players from bigger schools, which he knew was an uncertainty going into the contest.
In his senior season, Bibbens was rewarded with first-team All-Patriot League honors and also led the Patriot League in receiving yards per game.
Bibbens was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week after a 10-catch, two-touchdown effort at Fordham on Oct. 21, 2019. This past season, Bibbens led the Mountain Hawks in receptions, yards and touchdown catches and was a vital piece of Lehigh’s offense.
“In my (wide receiver) group we talk about practicing fast so we can play fast, and that describes what Devon (Bibbens) did,” said wide receivers coach Brandon Lemon. “I’m not surprised he had a very productive senior year.”
Lemon said Bibbens was an integral piece to the wide receiver group and commended his work ethic.
“He showed up to work every day with a sense of urgency, a sense of purpose and a positive mindset, which I believe is the recipe for growth as an athlete,” Lemon said.
Although COVID-19 has made his NFL journey more unconventional, Bibbens said any chance to play for an NFL team is a blessing and he looks forward to any team giving him an opportunity to show he belongs.
Although he knows being one of the 255 players selected is unlikely, Bibbens isn’t letting that discourage his NFL dreams.
“As a small school guy, I’m prepared for the fact that I might not get drafted and definitely prepared for and welcome the idea of becoming a UDFA (undrafted free agent),” he said.
Bibbens described training at Test as fun and fast-paced, with his days starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. like a full work day.
Bibbens said training at Test was a great experience in being able to train with players from all over the country for a common goal of making it to the NFL.
“Test Football Academy was definitely different from Lehigh in the fact that we were training our bodies differently in preparing for our pro days, rather than for a college football season,” Bibbens said.
Davis Maxie, a senior defensive lineman and friend of Bibbens, echoed how much of a hard worker he is.
“Devon’s commitment and work ethic are so contagious — it visibly rubs off onto others,” Maxie said.
Lemon said he believes Bibbens has a shot at the next level because of his talent, work ethic and know-how necessary to play the position.
With the first round of the draft completed on Thursday, Bibbens will soon find out if a team is willing to give him that shot.
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