Program Spotlight: Guerlin Dervil

By Brandon Yopp

Raleigh, N.C. - Born and raised in Haiti, Guerlin Dervil moved to the United States shortly before he enrolled in the ninth grade. When discussing his formative years in his native land, he frequently recalls family picnics and socials, and delicious home-cooked meals. At times, however, a climate of political unrest forced periods of discomfort, which ultimately led to the Dervil family seeking greener pastures in America.

The older of two children in his household, Dervil’s unbreakable bond to his family is evident at all times. He talks to his young brother Guesly, a sophomore cornerback at West Virginia, almost daily. He also takes pride talking about his father, Dodson, a fisherman who caught many of the family meals and made the majority of his income by selling lobster. His mother, Acilia, took care of the home and made sure that everyone was fed.

"Growing up in Haiti is nothing like growing up here,” said Dervil. “We didn't have cable TV or McDonalds. We didn’t have a lot of things to do. Basically you went to school, came home and did your homework, and then went outside and played."

While it may have been simple, it was certainly enjoyable to Dervil. Even more rewarding was the time that he spent bonding with his tight-knit family and local community.

"We lived in a close community,” said Dervil. "One family would cook and share its food with another family. We would do the same thing for other people, and they would do it for us. It was a very close environment."

Born to parents who were both natives of his homeland, Dervil grew up learning about and embracing his Haitian roots. He would often celebrate his ancestry alongside others at family picnics.

"We just enjoyed life,” said Dervil. "I'm very proud of being a Haitian. It's who I am. I love being a Haitian."

Unfortunately political power struggles are a fact of life in Haiti, and its something that struck the Dervils very hard at home.

"During elections my parents always told me not to go anywhere and stay in the house,” said Dervil. “People go crazy during those times, so you never know what's going to happen."

It turned out that those warnings couldn’t have been more true.

Antoine Jean, the brother of Dervil’s mother, found work as a police officer in his homeland. He was extremely proud to serve his country, and the Dervil family strongly echoed those sentiments. Tragically his life was taken during election time at a political protest when he was attacked and murdered by a group of activists.

"It was hard for me because he was one of my closest uncles,” said Dervil. “It taught me that you have to be careful of your environment and surroundings."

As horrific as the whole ordeal was, it wasn’t the first time the family had been rocked by violence over political unrest. Prior to that, Dervil’s cousin Claudi Jean was forced to go into hiding for several months at a time. A well-educated student, Claudi spoke out against the actions of the government and began to fear for his life.

Another incident, one that Dervil witnessed with his own eyes, had an even more frightening effect on him. Walking his usual route to school on an early, normal morning, Dervil’s attention was caught by shouting and chanting. After surveying his surroundings looking for the commotion, his eyes settled upon a body lying on the ground that had been surrounded by tires. Several onlookers doused the body with gasoline and set it ablaze while a small crowd gathered and cheered nearby.

As terrifying as those experiences were, Dervil admits to being happy overall with life in Haiti. The murder of his uncle, however, would prove to be the last straw for his family. Shortly thereafter his parents decided that the time was right to continue their life in another country. The Dervils settled on America, eventually making their home in Jacksonville, Fla.

"I didn't really know how it was going to work out, but I had heard that America was the place to be,” said Dervil. “When I first got here I didn't really like the food or going to school. I didn't know any English. It was hard."

In time Dervil got involved with football, and that helped him make friends and get acclimated to life in Florida. When he first stepped on the field for tryouts at White High School, he wasn’t exactly sure what he had gotten himself into.

“I thought that I was trying out for soccer, because where I’m from, we call it football,” said Dervil. "It took me a long time to learn English and I'm still learning. High school was tough."

Dervil watched football on television after moving to the U.S., but he never really understood the game. That all changed in time with practice, patience, hard work and determination.

"Coach put me at wide receiver for a couple of years,” said Dervil. “I could run fast, but I couldn't really catch the ball, so I was moved to defense."

The position switch paid off in spades. As a senior Dervil recorded 64 tackles and collected five sacks for head coach Dan Disch en route to earning honorable-mention all-state accolades. Colleges began calling and the recruiting letters flooded the family mailbox. It didn’t take all that long for him to settle on NC State.

Since coming to Raleigh, Dervil hasn’t spent the amount of time on the field that he had hoped for, but he has fostered several meaningful relationships that resemble the kinship he shares with his family. Fluent in Creole, French, and English, Dervil often speaks in Creole with several of his teammates, including Audi Augustin and Ray Michel.

He also boasts one of the more humorous nicknames on the team, The Haitian Sensation.’

“That’s something that the guys have called me for a while now,” said Dervil. “I get a kick out of it.”

Someone that probably doesn’t find the humor in it is wide receiver John Dunlap, who bears the cost of affording Dervil his moniker. Several years ago in practice the offense and the defense were battling each other when Dervil ended Dunlap’s day.

"He ran a slant, and he ran right to me,” said Dervil. “I just hit and knocked him out of practice."

That’s when an assistant strength and conditioning coach christened Dervil with the nickname that generated a few laughs up and down the practice field.

“I ask John about it every once in a while,” said Dervil. “’Hey John, remember when I knocked you out?’”

Lately Dervil has been doing a lot of reminiscing, especially about life in Haiti. Due to graduate this school year, he can see himself returning to the land he grew up in before too much longer.

"I miss it,” said Dervil. “I miss it a lot.”

The father of a young son, Dervil dreams of raising his boy in Haiti and giving him the type of family atmosphere that he cherished so much as a youngster.

"The most important thing to me is to take care of my son and raise him right,” said Dervil.

At some point this afternoon, while standing on the sidelines, Dervil will almost certainly peer into the sky and think about where he’s been, as well as where he’s going. While he’s thankful for the opportunities that he has had in America, his heart calls out to resume the life he left behind in Haiti.

"I'm really proud of what I've accomplished in my life, and I thank God for that,” said Dervil. “I’m proud to be Haitian, and I hope that someday I can live my life there again.”

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