James Rittenhouse Develin, Jr. (born July 23, 1988) is an American former professional football player who was a fullback. He played college football for Brown University as a

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...

. He was originally signed as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

by the

Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz The Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz were an arena football team. The team began play as a 2004 expansion team of the Arena Football League's minor league af2 before becoming a member of the AFL in 2010. Formerly a tenant of the Ford Center from 2004 ...

of the

Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...

(AFL). He most prominently played for the New England Patriots for eight seasons with whom he won three

Super Bowls The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...

and appeared in a

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

. Develin was on the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad for two seasons and played for the

Florida Tuskers Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to th ...

of the United Football League (UFL).

High school career

Develin attended Boyertown Area Senior High School where he

lettered Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...

in both football and

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...

. While there, he was named a football

team captain In team sport, captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field. In eithe ...

, team Most Valuable Player (MVP), First-team All-Area, First-team All-Pac and All-

Berks County Berks County (Pennsylvania German: ''Barricks Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 428,849. The county seat is Reading. The Schuylkill River, a tributary of the Delaware River, ...

. He was chosen to play in the Berks County All-star game as well as the NationalAllStars.com Bowl. He was named a National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete. He was awarded the Warren O. Fry Memorial Award as well as the Tall Cedars Football Scholar-Athlete Award.

College career

Develin attended Brown University, where he

majored An academic major is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits. A student who successfully completes all courses required for the major qualifies for an undergraduate degree. The word ''major'' (also called ''conce ...

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

and played

defensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numb ...

on the

Brown Bears football : ''For information on all Brown University sports, see Brown Bears'' The Brown Bears football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Brown University located in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The team competes in the NCAA Divi ...

team. As a freshman in 2006, he appeared in eight games. He recorded 12 tackles (six solo) and one sack. In 2007, as a sophomore, he recorded 50 tackles (28 solo), 13.5 tackles-for-loss, six sacks, three

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

hurries, and three fumble recoveries. For the season, he was named Second-team All-

Ivy ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...

. As a junior, in 2008, he recorded 34 tackles, 9.5 tackles-for-loss, and three sacks. He was named Second-team All-Ivy. As a senior in 2009, he recorded 53 tackles, 16 tackles-for-loss, five sacks, one

interception In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team ...

, and two fumble recoveries.

College statistics

Professional career

Develin went undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft, as expected. He attended a tryout with the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...

, but did not receive a contract offer.

Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz

Develin originally signed with the

of the

(AFL) and appeared in one game.

Florida Tuskers

He then joined the

of the United Football League (UFL), where he converted from defensive line to fullback. Develin played under Tuskers' head coach

Jay Gruden Jay Michael Gruden (born March 4, 1967) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is an offensive consultant for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach of the Washington ...

Cincinnati Bengals

On November 30, 2010, the Cincinnati Bengals signed Develin to their practice squad. On February 3, 2011, Develin was reunited with his former head coach with the Florida Tuskers after Jay Gruden was hired to be the Bengals' new offensive coordinator. Throughout training camp, Develin competed for a roster spot as a fullback against

Cedric Peerman Cedric Edwin Peerman (born October 10, 1986) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft and has also played for the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, and Cincinnati B ...

and

Fui Vakapuna Fui Vakapuna (pronounced foo-ē vac-uh-poo-nǎ; born March 9, 1984) is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at BYU. Professional c ...

. On September 3, 2011, the Cincinnati Bengals waived Develin, but signed him to their practice squad the next day after he cleared waivers. Develin spent the entire 2011 season on the Bengals' practice squad. On August 31, 2012, the Cincinnati Bengals waived Develin as part of their final roster cuts.

New England Patriots

2012 season

On September 2, 2012, Develin was signed to the New England Patriots' practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on November 28, 2012. On December 16, 2012, Develin made his professional regular season debut during the Patriots' 41-34 loss to the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

in Week 15. Develin was limited to one game as a rookie in

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

2013 season

Throughout training camp, Develin competed against Ben Bartholomew for a roster spot as a fullback and special teams player. On September 2, 2013, the Patriots released Develin as part of their final roster cuts. On September 6, 2013, he was re-signed after tight end

Matthew Mulligan Matthew Ben Mulligan (born January 18, 1985) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at The University of Maine. Mulligan was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He has also been a membe ...

was released. Head coach

Bill Belichick William Stephen Belichick (; born April 16, 1952) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Additionally, he exercises extensive authority over the Patri ...

named Develin the starting fullback to begin the regular season. He made his first career start in the Patriots' season-opening 23-21 win at the Buffalo Bills. On December 1, 2013, Develin had two carries for four-yards and scored his first NFL touchdown during a 34-31 win at the Houston Texans. Develin appeared in all 16 games, starting six. He recorded four carries for 10 yards and a touchdown, and four receptions for 62 yards.

2014 season

In 2014, Develin appeared in all 16 games, starting four. He recorded three carries for five yards and six receptions for 43 yards. He also recorded a receiving touchdown in the Patriots' 45-7 drubbing of the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC championship game. The Patriots won

Super Bowl XLIX Super Bowl XLIX was an American football game played to determine the champions of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2014 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots defeated the National Football Conf ...

by a score of 28-24 against the Seattle Seahawks. Develin recorded 1 catch for 6 yards in the Super Bowl.

2015 season

On September 1, 2015, Develin was placed on season-ending injured reserve after breaking his right

tibia The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it connects ...

in a preseason game against the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...

2016 season

Develin re-signed with the Patriots to a one-year contract on March 7, 2016. On February 5, 2017, Develin was part of the Patriots team that won

Super Bowl LI Super Bowl LI was an American football game played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on February 5, 2017, to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2016 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New ...

. In the game, he appeared on ten plays on offense and ten on special teams as the Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 34–28 in overtime.

2017 season

On March 6, 2017, Develin signed a two-year contract extension with the Patriots. The deal included a $300,000 signing bonus, $200,000 in guaranteed salary, and a maximum value of $2.85 million. On December 19, 2017, Develin was selected to the

as a starting fullback. Develin could not play in the Pro Bowl because of his team advancing to

Super Bowl LII Super Bowl LII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2017 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles defeated the American Football Conferen ...

. The Patriots lost in the Super Bowl to the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...

by a score of 41-33 without Develin recording any statistics.

2018 season

On June 14, 2018, Develin signed a two-year, $3.8 million contract extension with the Patriots through the 2020 season. He played the second-most snaps of any fullback after the

' Kyle Juszczyk. He had career highs in touchdowns, with four rushing touchdowns in a three-game span, and receptions, with 12. Develin helped the Patriots reach Super Bowl LIII where they defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13-3. Prior to the game, former running back and NFL analyst

Maurice Jones-Drew Maurice Christopher Jones-Drew (born March 23, 1985), often called "MJD", is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and earned una ...

called Develin the most important running back in the game, noting that he provided key blocks in all four of the Patriots' rushing touchdowns in the AFC Championship game against the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The ...

2019 season

On September 23, 2019, Develin was placed on injured reserve due to a neck injury he sustained in Week 2 against the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...

Retirement

On April 27, 2020, Develin announced his retirement from the NFL, citing health concerns over his neck injury.

NFL career statistics

Personal life

He is the son of Jim (James Sr.) and Donna Develin. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three sons, James III, William Robert, and Joseph Rudolph, and a daughter, Adrienne Mattea.

References

External links

*
Brown Bears bio

Cincinnati Bengals bio

New England Patriots bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Develin, James 1988 births Living people People from West Chester, Pennsylvania Players of American football from Pennsylvania Sportspeople from Chester County, Pennsylvania American football defensive ends American football fullbacks Brown Bears football players Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz players Florida Tuskers players Cincinnati Bengals players New England Patriots players American Conference Pro Bowl players Brown University School of Engineering alumni