Eastern Michigan Athletics
Nick Devereaux Selected to Don ‘The Deuce’
8/20/2026 6:51:00 PM | Football
The special jersey is earned annually by the team’s top senior pass catcher
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — There are numerous reasons for a player wanting to wear a certain number. The number might be 'lucky.' It may have been worn at every level of competition in his career. Or, it might hold a special significance that many might not know. Whatever the reason for requesting certain numbers, each selection is as unique as the player making the request.
For the Eastern Michigan University football program, one number holds an even more special meaning. It is 'The Deuce.' Make no mistake: this jersey is special. A player cannot select it through conventional means, such as requesting it from the equipment staff. Instead, a player earns it through his actions on and off the field. He earns 'The Deuce' by demonstrating he possesses the integrity, character, and selflessness that EMU's football student-athletes and representatives strive to build within themselves.
For Eastern football, 'The Deuce' must be earned in remembrance of wide receiver Demarius Reed, who passed away on Oct. 18, 2013. Put back into circulation in 2017 with the blessing of Reed's family and former teammates, his number once again graces the field at Rynearson Stadium on the back of the squad's best senior pass catcher.
In a team meeting held Thursday, Aug. 20, inside the Incarnati Athletic Center, Head Coach Chris Creighton announced Nick Devereaux (Troy, Mich./Brother Rice/Davenport) had earned the honor to wear the jersey emblazoned with No. 2. The graduate wide receiver enters the 2026 season following a breakout campaign in which he emerged as the Eagles' top receiving threat.
Devereaux led Eastern Michigan with 510 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions while finishing second on the team with 34 catches. His performance earned him All-Mid-American Conference Third Team honors after starting 10 games and recording at least one reception in every contest.
One of the nation's most productive touchdown receivers in 2025, Devereaux ranked 30th nationally with seven touchdown receptions. His seven scores marked the highest total by an EMU wide receiver since Tanner Knue hauled in nine touchdown catches during the 2022 season. The total also tied for the seventh-most touchdown receptions in a single season in program history.
Devereaux's top performance came during conference play against Ohio, when he caught five passes for a career-high 121 yards and two touchdowns. The effort made him the 65th player in program history to record a 100-yard receiving game, while his 121 yards tied for 72nd on EMU's single-game receiving yardage list.
His development was evident throughout the season, as Devereaux established career highs in receiving yards four different times. He finished the campaign as quarterback Noah Kim's (Westfield, Va./Westfield/Michigan State/Coastal Carolina) top target and entered the offseason with significant momentum.
That momentum carried into 2026, when Devereaux was selected to the Phil Steele MAC First Team. He also earned Academic All-MAC honors following the 2025 season.
Devereaux's rise has been one of the more notable developments in the Eagles' receiving room. After joining the program from Davenport University, he recorded only one reception during his first two seasons on the field for Eastern Michigan. His breakout came in 2025, when he earned a scholarship in Week Nine and became one of the team's most productive offensive players.
His accomplishments have also drawn national attention. Devereaux was selected to the 2027 Shrine Bowl 1000 Watchlist, placing his name among the college football prospects being evaluated for the prestigious postseason all-star game.
A Troy, Mich., native, Devereaux attended Brother Rice High School and played under Head Coach Adam Korzeniewski. He recorded 16 receptions as a senior and helped the Warriors finish 7-2 and place second in the Catholic High School League Central. He also helped Brother Rice earn playoff victories over Divine Child and Orchard Lake St. Mary's.
Devereaux's success extends beyond football. He earned Academic All-MAC honors during his Eastern Michigan career and graduated with a degree in Exercise Science in May 2026. He is married to the former Sydney Junkans, a member of the EMU rowing program.
"When former teammates and Demarius' father both thought that this new tradition was a great way to honor his memory, we knew we got it right," added Creighton. "I truly believe that wearing 'The Deuce' will forever be a special honor in this program."
EMU has continued to recognize Reed's influence on the football program since his passing. His jersey is buried at midfield under the Block E logo inside Rynearson Stadium, while a plaque memorializes his accomplishments inside the locker room at the Incarnati Athletic Center.
In 2017, former Tampa Bay Buccaneer wide receiver Sergio Bailey II became the first player to wear 'The Deuce' after the number was returned to circulation. Former walk-on Blake Banham earned the honor in 2018, followed by Clinton, Mich., native Mathew Sexton in 2019. Tight ends Thomas Odukoya and Bryson Cannon sported the number in 2020 and 2021, respectively, before Hassan Beydoun was selected in 2022. Tanner Knue donned the jersey in 2023, followed by Oran Singleton in 2024 and Terry Lockett Jr. in 2025.
The 135th season of football gets underway Saturday, Aug. 29, when Eastern Michigan welcomes Sacramento State University to Rynearson Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET, with the game televised on ESPN+ and available on WEMU (89. FM) and the Varsity Network app.
For the Eastern Michigan University football program, one number holds an even more special meaning. It is 'The Deuce.' Make no mistake: this jersey is special. A player cannot select it through conventional means, such as requesting it from the equipment staff. Instead, a player earns it through his actions on and off the field. He earns 'The Deuce' by demonstrating he possesses the integrity, character, and selflessness that EMU's football student-athletes and representatives strive to build within themselves.
For Eastern football, 'The Deuce' must be earned in remembrance of wide receiver Demarius Reed, who passed away on Oct. 18, 2013. Put back into circulation in 2017 with the blessing of Reed's family and former teammates, his number once again graces the field at Rynearson Stadium on the back of the squad's best senior pass catcher.
In a team meeting held Thursday, Aug. 20, inside the Incarnati Athletic Center, Head Coach Chris Creighton announced Nick Devereaux (Troy, Mich./Brother Rice/Davenport) had earned the honor to wear the jersey emblazoned with No. 2. The graduate wide receiver enters the 2026 season following a breakout campaign in which he emerged as the Eagles' top receiving threat.
Devereaux led Eastern Michigan with 510 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions while finishing second on the team with 34 catches. His performance earned him All-Mid-American Conference Third Team honors after starting 10 games and recording at least one reception in every contest.
One of the nation's most productive touchdown receivers in 2025, Devereaux ranked 30th nationally with seven touchdown receptions. His seven scores marked the highest total by an EMU wide receiver since Tanner Knue hauled in nine touchdown catches during the 2022 season. The total also tied for the seventh-most touchdown receptions in a single season in program history.
Devereaux's top performance came during conference play against Ohio, when he caught five passes for a career-high 121 yards and two touchdowns. The effort made him the 65th player in program history to record a 100-yard receiving game, while his 121 yards tied for 72nd on EMU's single-game receiving yardage list.
His development was evident throughout the season, as Devereaux established career highs in receiving yards four different times. He finished the campaign as quarterback Noah Kim's (Westfield, Va./Westfield/Michigan State/Coastal Carolina) top target and entered the offseason with significant momentum.
That momentum carried into 2026, when Devereaux was selected to the Phil Steele MAC First Team. He also earned Academic All-MAC honors following the 2025 season.
Devereaux's rise has been one of the more notable developments in the Eagles' receiving room. After joining the program from Davenport University, he recorded only one reception during his first two seasons on the field for Eastern Michigan. His breakout came in 2025, when he earned a scholarship in Week Nine and became one of the team's most productive offensive players.
His accomplishments have also drawn national attention. Devereaux was selected to the 2027 Shrine Bowl 1000 Watchlist, placing his name among the college football prospects being evaluated for the prestigious postseason all-star game.
A Troy, Mich., native, Devereaux attended Brother Rice High School and played under Head Coach Adam Korzeniewski. He recorded 16 receptions as a senior and helped the Warriors finish 7-2 and place second in the Catholic High School League Central. He also helped Brother Rice earn playoff victories over Divine Child and Orchard Lake St. Mary's.
Devereaux's success extends beyond football. He earned Academic All-MAC honors during his Eastern Michigan career and graduated with a degree in Exercise Science in May 2026. He is married to the former Sydney Junkans, a member of the EMU rowing program.
"When former teammates and Demarius' father both thought that this new tradition was a great way to honor his memory, we knew we got it right," added Creighton. "I truly believe that wearing 'The Deuce' will forever be a special honor in this program."
EMU has continued to recognize Reed's influence on the football program since his passing. His jersey is buried at midfield under the Block E logo inside Rynearson Stadium, while a plaque memorializes his accomplishments inside the locker room at the Incarnati Athletic Center.
In 2017, former Tampa Bay Buccaneer wide receiver Sergio Bailey II became the first player to wear 'The Deuce' after the number was returned to circulation. Former walk-on Blake Banham earned the honor in 2018, followed by Clinton, Mich., native Mathew Sexton in 2019. Tight ends Thomas Odukoya and Bryson Cannon sported the number in 2020 and 2021, respectively, before Hassan Beydoun was selected in 2022. Tanner Knue donned the jersey in 2023, followed by Oran Singleton in 2024 and Terry Lockett Jr. in 2025.
The 135th season of football gets underway Saturday, Aug. 29, when Eastern Michigan welcomes Sacramento State University to Rynearson Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET, with the game televised on ESPN+ and available on WEMU (89. FM) and the Varsity Network app.
Players Mentioned
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Thursday, July 23