Lehigh University Athletics
Consistently Competing
11/11/2019 6:35:00 PM | Football, Student Athlete, Features
By: Justin Lafleur, Lehigh Sports Communications
Practice makes perfect.
Â
For the Lehigh football team, and every sports team for that matter, if you practice well during the week, you usually play well come game day.
Â
"Over my time at Lehigh, there has definitely been a correlation to how we've practiced and how we've played on Saturday," said senior wide receiver Devon Bibbens. "When we've struggled, it wasn't because guys didn't like each other. In fact, guys liked each other, but didn't know how to separate friendships from being on a football team. This year, we're friends, but we understand that when we're on the football field, we're competitors."
Â
When thinking of adjectives to describe Bibbens, competitor is undeniably number one. The New Hope, Pennsylvania native always finds a way to bring up the collective competitive spirit amongst those around him.
Â
"I'll compete over the smallest things," said Bibbens. "The feeling and adrenaline you get from competing, I get a drive off it."
Â
Bibbens has always been competitive, but didn't always know how to channel his energy.
Â
"I've always been an emotional player," he said. "When we've struggled in the past, I only knew how to improve myself and not how to help those around me. Now, I'm focused on leading and bringing guys with me. If we're about to go into overtime, I try to make sure the guys are confident and ready to go."
Â
Bibbens has grown as both a player and person over his Lehigh tenure. He went from primarily playing special teams as a freshman to making 10 catches for 122 yards as a sophomore, then 33 receptions for 576 yards as a junior.
Â
This year, it took him just six games to set a career high for receptions in a season, and is easily on pace to eclipse his career high for yards. One of Bibbens' top performances came at Fordham when he was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week following 10 catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
There has been gradual improvement in Bibbens' game, due in large part to a change in mindset.
Â
"There is a certain confidence you gain, which comes with time," he said. "During the end of last year into the offseason, I went in with a new mindset that I expect to be the best on the field, not caring about mistakes anymore."
Â
Of course, Bibbens doesn't want to make mistakes, but he understands mistakes happen over the course of a game. He's just focused on the next play and competing in every given moment.
Â
"A big thing Coach Gilmore says is don't play not to lose," he said. "Play to win. Don't think, 'I need to make this catch or it's going to be bad if I drop it.' Instead, think, 'I'm about to make this catch or I'm about to make this block.'
Â
"Negative talk in my head has correlated to my play on the field," Bibbens continued. "I'm now focused on being relaxed and attacking in a positive way, which has helped my play and confidence as a whole."
Â
The coaching staff, including several first-year Lehigh coaches, have been instrumental in Bibbens' growth, especially as a leader.
Â
"I'm an emotional player and I take this very personally," said Bibbens. "The coaching staff has put me in a great position to learn how to channel that energy in a positive direction in order to help the team and help my play.
Â
"I always considered myself a team guy," Bibbens continued. "I just don't think I understand how to lead and how to bring guys together. I believe I've always had my heart in the right place, but the coaches have really helped me channel my energy and focus in the right direction. Coach DiMichele was one of the first to realize my passion was in the right place and he's helped me become a better leader. I really thank him for that, as well as all the coaches."
Â
Change can't happen without the student-athlete being open-minded, and that's exactly what Bibbens has been.
Â
"Devon has set a good example just by the effort he's made," said head coach Tom Gilmore. "We've asked him to step up and make changes, he's done that and he's seen the positive results."
Â
Those results have come in a number of forms. With student-athletes spending so much time and effort in academics, athletics and extracurricular activities, it's hard to bring consistent energy and focus on a daily basis.
Â
That's where Bibbens naturally brings out the competitiveness in everyone around him.
Â
"Devon is one of those guys that you hate to play against in practice, but you love to have him on your team on Saturdays," said fifth-year senior defensive back Sam McCloskey.
Â
People like Bibbens, and Lehigh's entire senior class, have experienced it all. Bibbens won championships his first two years, but as a junior, the Mountain Hawks finished 3-8.
Â
The seniors have tried to take things they learned from the 9-3 team in 2016 into the current season.
Â
"Some of the seniors played on that team more than others, but we all remember how it felt," said Bibbens. "No matter how much you played, everyone felt like they were part of the team, and part of the wins, because we all practiced hard together.
Â
"That's the atmosphere we're trying to set right now. Whether you're playing 78 snaps on Saturday, two snaps or no snaps, everyone has an opportunity to make the team better in practice and meetings.
Â
"Everyone can leave a mark on this team."
Â
As Gilmore said, "Being put into more competitive situations in practice not only forces Devon to step up, but also the players he's competing against. It's actually made it very intense, but really enjoyable. He enjoys the competitiveness and it makes practice that much more enjoyable because you're competing in a very intense environment, which is one of the reasons you're in this business as a coach."
Â
One of the primary goals of collegiate coaches is to win, but there's more to it. Coaches also help student-athletes through the process of growth and development into young men ready to tackle the world.
Â
Meanwhile, for a student-athlete like Bibbens, the process of the football season keeps him coming back for more.
Â
"Winning feels good, but you have a great feeling for a short period of time," said Bibbens. "You can't match the adrenaline you feel when you're really getting after it and competing. I've fallen in love with the process of the competition more than the wins themselves because those wins come and go."
Â
Something else that's consistent for Bibbens is his work off the field as a design major.
Â
"Design has given me an opportunity to express myself in different ways," he said. "With football, we do things a certain way for the greater good. Design gives you the opportunity to try things your own way and work on different ways to attack problems or situations.
Â
As Bibbens continued, "Design isn't necessarily just about graphics and how you graphically design. Instead of attacking a problem one way, now you have a different way of thinking."
Â
Instead of always going from point a to b, design makes you think about how to go from a to c to b.
Â
"Then you find out what works best for you," said Bibbens.
Â
Bibbens' entrepreneurship minors similarly challenges one's way of thinking.
Â
"I try not to look at situations as if there's a yes or no, you can do it or you can't," he said. "Instead, the question is how am I going to do it with the cards I have?"
Â
Bibbens knows he's far from perfect… no one is. But he's learning how to use all the cards he has, a.k.a. all his strengths (and there are many), to make his mark on the program.
Â
"Whatever you have, figure out a way to get it done," said Bibbens. "A big thing with design and a big thing with Coach Gilmore is there's no built-in excuse. If you're looking for an excuse, you're not going to succeed in any field, whether it's football, design or entrepreneurship."
Â
In the end, try something and it may not always work, but practice, practice, practice.
Â
"Don't be afraid to fail," said Bibbens.
Â
Remember, practice makes perfect.
Practice makes perfect.
Â
For the Lehigh football team, and every sports team for that matter, if you practice well during the week, you usually play well come game day.
Â
"Over my time at Lehigh, there has definitely been a correlation to how we've practiced and how we've played on Saturday," said senior wide receiver Devon Bibbens. "When we've struggled, it wasn't because guys didn't like each other. In fact, guys liked each other, but didn't know how to separate friendships from being on a football team. This year, we're friends, but we understand that when we're on the football field, we're competitors."
Â
When thinking of adjectives to describe Bibbens, competitor is undeniably number one. The New Hope, Pennsylvania native always finds a way to bring up the collective competitive spirit amongst those around him.
Â
"I'll compete over the smallest things," said Bibbens. "The feeling and adrenaline you get from competing, I get a drive off it."
Â
Bibbens has always been competitive, but didn't always know how to channel his energy.
Â
"I've always been an emotional player," he said. "When we've struggled in the past, I only knew how to improve myself and not how to help those around me. Now, I'm focused on leading and bringing guys with me. If we're about to go into overtime, I try to make sure the guys are confident and ready to go."
Â
Bibbens has grown as both a player and person over his Lehigh tenure. He went from primarily playing special teams as a freshman to making 10 catches for 122 yards as a sophomore, then 33 receptions for 576 yards as a junior.
Â
This year, it took him just six games to set a career high for receptions in a season, and is easily on pace to eclipse his career high for yards. One of Bibbens' top performances came at Fordham when he was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week following 10 catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
ÂDevon Bibbens came up BIG on Saturday and he was rewarded with Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week honors. Relive some of his top plays from Saturday 📹
— Lehigh Football (@LehighFootball) October 21, 2019
Story: https://t.co/qa8sFQ48Sm pic.twitter.com/2c2nI5aQP3
There has been gradual improvement in Bibbens' game, due in large part to a change in mindset.
Â
"There is a certain confidence you gain, which comes with time," he said. "During the end of last year into the offseason, I went in with a new mindset that I expect to be the best on the field, not caring about mistakes anymore."
Â
Of course, Bibbens doesn't want to make mistakes, but he understands mistakes happen over the course of a game. He's just focused on the next play and competing in every given moment.
Â
"A big thing Coach Gilmore says is don't play not to lose," he said. "Play to win. Don't think, 'I need to make this catch or it's going to be bad if I drop it.' Instead, think, 'I'm about to make this catch or I'm about to make this block.'
Â
"Negative talk in my head has correlated to my play on the field," Bibbens continued. "I'm now focused on being relaxed and attacking in a positive way, which has helped my play and confidence as a whole."
Â
The coaching staff, including several first-year Lehigh coaches, have been instrumental in Bibbens' growth, especially as a leader.
Â
"I'm an emotional player and I take this very personally," said Bibbens. "The coaching staff has put me in a great position to learn how to channel that energy in a positive direction in order to help the team and help my play.
Â
"I always considered myself a team guy," Bibbens continued. "I just don't think I understand how to lead and how to bring guys together. I believe I've always had my heart in the right place, but the coaches have really helped me channel my energy and focus in the right direction. Coach DiMichele was one of the first to realize my passion was in the right place and he's helped me become a better leader. I really thank him for that, as well as all the coaches."
Â
Change can't happen without the student-athlete being open-minded, and that's exactly what Bibbens has been.
 "Devon has set a good example just by the effort he's made," said head coach Tom Gilmore. "We've asked him to step up and make changes, he's done that and he's seen the positive results."
Â
Those results have come in a number of forms. With student-athletes spending so much time and effort in academics, athletics and extracurricular activities, it's hard to bring consistent energy and focus on a daily basis.
Â
That's where Bibbens naturally brings out the competitiveness in everyone around him.
Â
"Devon is one of those guys that you hate to play against in practice, but you love to have him on your team on Saturdays," said fifth-year senior defensive back Sam McCloskey.
Â
People like Bibbens, and Lehigh's entire senior class, have experienced it all. Bibbens won championships his first two years, but as a junior, the Mountain Hawks finished 3-8.
Â
The seniors have tried to take things they learned from the 9-3 team in 2016 into the current season.
Â
"Some of the seniors played on that team more than others, but we all remember how it felt," said Bibbens. "No matter how much you played, everyone felt like they were part of the team, and part of the wins, because we all practiced hard together.
Â
"That's the atmosphere we're trying to set right now. Whether you're playing 78 snaps on Saturday, two snaps or no snaps, everyone has an opportunity to make the team better in practice and meetings.
Â
"Everyone can leave a mark on this team."
Â
As Gilmore said, "Being put into more competitive situations in practice not only forces Devon to step up, but also the players he's competing against. It's actually made it very intense, but really enjoyable. He enjoys the competitiveness and it makes practice that much more enjoyable because you're competing in a very intense environment, which is one of the reasons you're in this business as a coach."
Â
One of the primary goals of collegiate coaches is to win, but there's more to it. Coaches also help student-athletes through the process of growth and development into young men ready to tackle the world.
Â
Meanwhile, for a student-athlete like Bibbens, the process of the football season keeps him coming back for more.
 "Winning feels good, but you have a great feeling for a short period of time," said Bibbens. "You can't match the adrenaline you feel when you're really getting after it and competing. I've fallen in love with the process of the competition more than the wins themselves because those wins come and go."
Â
Something else that's consistent for Bibbens is his work off the field as a design major.
Â
"Design has given me an opportunity to express myself in different ways," he said. "With football, we do things a certain way for the greater good. Design gives you the opportunity to try things your own way and work on different ways to attack problems or situations.
Â
As Bibbens continued, "Design isn't necessarily just about graphics and how you graphically design. Instead of attacking a problem one way, now you have a different way of thinking."
Â
Instead of always going from point a to b, design makes you think about how to go from a to c to b.
Â
"Then you find out what works best for you," said Bibbens.
Â
Bibbens' entrepreneurship minors similarly challenges one's way of thinking.
Â
"I try not to look at situations as if there's a yes or no, you can do it or you can't," he said. "Instead, the question is how am I going to do it with the cards I have?"
Â
Bibbens knows he's far from perfect… no one is. But he's learning how to use all the cards he has, a.k.a. all his strengths (and there are many), to make his mark on the program.
Â
"Whatever you have, figure out a way to get it done," said Bibbens. "A big thing with design and a big thing with Coach Gilmore is there's no built-in excuse. If you're looking for an excuse, you're not going to succeed in any field, whether it's football, design or entrepreneurship."
Â
In the end, try something and it may not always work, but practice, practice, practice.
Â
"Don't be afraid to fail," said Bibbens.
Â
Remember, practice makes perfect.
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