Remembering the gone-far-too-soon-life of Devin Willock: ‘He was my favorite OL’

Rest in peace Devin Willock. Rest in peace, Chandler Lecroy. We at DawgNation extend the DEEPEST sympathies to their families, loved ones and the entire Georgia football and University of Georgia community today.

We tried to put something together today to honor the memory of Willock and his time in our world.

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Devin Willock sent a text to his high school coach at Paramus Catholic this week. The young man who lost his life this morning to a tragic one-car accident had his eyes set on the future.

“I texted him yesterday,” Paramus Catholic coach John Whitehead said. “Before the parade. I said to him what are your thoughts.”

Whitehead said Willock replied it was a fantastic championship game.

“He was talking about going for his third [championship] at Georgia,” Whitehead said. “He was all into it. He was all into Georgia. Oh my god was he all into Georgia.”

Whitehead asked him if there was still enough talent left in the cupboard to win a third straight title.

“He told me Georgia was going to be a lot better than people think,” Whitehead said.

His coach replied: “Are you sure?”

“He said ‘We are going to have an unbelievable running game next year,” Whitehead said. “He said ‘Unbelievable. We’re just going to maul people. We won’t even have to throw it’ and he was so pumped up for next year. Oh my God.”

“He was talking about next year already at Georgia and he was on the honor roll at Georgia. Again. He gets all As.”

Whitehead said Willock wasn’t contemplating the transfer portal or the NFL at all. He was going to be a ‘Dawg as long as Kirby Smart wanted him to be. Or the NCAA would let him be.

Willock loved Georgia. To its core. With everything his 6 feet, 7 inches and 330 pounds had to love.

“He was living a dream at Georgia,” Whitehead said. “He was getting good grades. We talked about his grades all the time. He liked the fact that Georgia has a very intensive off-season running program for their kids. He loved it. He ate it up. Don’t forget here that he is 6-foot-7 and 350 pounds. For a kid that size, those kids do not like to run. But he got into it. He was into it when he was up here.”

Whitehead knew Willock redshirted in 2020.

“He was going to stay for his next two years and play,” Whitehead said. “He loved it there. Oh my god. He loved it down there. He loved the school. He loved the state. He loved Athens. His parents loved it. His parents were going to get a house down there. He has an uncle down there near Atlanta. They were wanting to move down there permanently. And he really liked Kirby Smart. Oh my did he love coach Smart.”

“I remember telling him if there are any problems down there with any coaches to let me know. He goes ‘Coach you know me. I’m not ever going to have a problem with any coach’ and that was just Devin.”

Willock never did.

“He loved Kirby Smart,” Whitehead said. “He loved their whole staff. Just loved all of them. Loved the kids all down there. The students. He just thought Athens was the greatest place and the greatest thing since sliced bread.”

Whitehead believes Willock would have been back for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.