On Seeing, A Journal #477
The SHAPE of the NFL: Devin Singletary
Runningback, Buffalo Bills
Photographed and interviewed, Saturday, April 2, 2022 in New York City.
Devin Singletary came to the studio recently. He is 24 years of age, 5’7” tall and weighs 203 lbs. I thank Tzvi Grossman, his manager who aided greatly in getting him to NYC and working with me.
He attended and played high school football at American Heritage School in Delray Beach, Florida, and played college football at Florida Atlantic University. He was FAU’s all-time rusher.
He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the 2019 NFL Draft. In his three years in the NFL he has compiled 2,332 rushing yards.
Interview:
“The coach there was from Deerfield. He said, just bring him on a visit. I love it. I see God’s working. Everyone at that private school looked good. Everyone was fit; everyone was going hard. And I’m like, this is the place I want to be. That’s how it happened. I went to American Heritage and that was one of the best things to happen for me, football-wise and academically. They were superior academically, and that’s what I needed.
“Going to Heritage also helped me get a step forward. I got a better chance of getting into a college. I had about 15 offers. I accepted the offer from FAU, Florida Atlantic, in Boca Raton, Florida. I learned a lot and it shaped me to be able to handle life. I learned that if you want something done, it’s the man in the mirror. I learned to take ownership for my actions.
“I had done so well on the field and didn’t want to risk getting injured and slimming my chances of going high in the draft so I went pro after three years.”


HS: What’s the hardest thing about being an NFL player?
DS: “When you go from poverty and struggle and then a great deal of money, and you’re the only one in your family with this type of money, people start coming out from the woodwork, saying that they’re family. That was tough for me. I realized that people will take advantage of you if you let them. Now, my excuse is that my money is tied up in investments.
“My biggest worry now is not doing the right things to where I’m back in my struggle. To be at the highest level after you’ve made it from the struggle, then to go back to the struggle. That’s my biggest fear. I’ve seen it happen a lot. And I always told myself, if I was blessed enough to make it to where I am now, I’ll do everything in my power not to go back to where I was.
“I’m a very genuine guy. No matter what it is, what I accomplish, I won’t get too high. And no matter how bad I do, I won’t get too low. I always find a way to stay right there in the middle; stay even keel. I think that’s definitely what makes me different. In high school, Stacy Sizemore, my head coach, used to say that all the time. Don’t get too high, don’t get too low. Reality falls somewhere in the middle. And I carry that with me to this day.
“I love spending time with my family. I’ve got a son, two years old. His mother and I go from Buffalo to Florida. I love to go fishing; there’s something about fishing. You can just go out there, water could be calm or it could be rough. It just helps take me away from what I’m going through, whatever it is, if I just need to relax, fishing is the thing.
“I want to improve in all matters of my life. I feel like if you think like that, you’re constantly bettering yourself all the way around. And that’s how I attack life, daily. No matter what it is, I’m always trying to improve. That’s being a better father, better friend, better teammate, better son, a better significant other. That’s just how I go; I’m just always trying to improve.”

Good luck in your promising and challenging career.I greatly admire and am grateful for every football player that I meet and with whom I endeavor to make images for my project, “The Shape of the NFL.”