Hard Work and Leadership Has Kylany Setting the Tone for Deacs
11/20/2025 7:34:00 AM | Football
“He’s a great leader, and I’ve really been proud to see him.” - Devin Kylany
One of the most endearing aspects of being around Wake Forest Athletics is that you quickly realize the student-athletes face many of the same challenges the rest of the student body faces.
Like parking, not that it's any different at Wake Forest than most other campuses across the country.
So when George Steih moved to the first string after the unfortunate early-season injury to Clinton Richard, a trio of Demon Deacon offensive linemen suddenly started an impromptu competition for arriving first and earning the better parking spot.
"Parking spots are coveted for everyone on this campus," Wake Forest center Devin Kylany explained. "We don't have assigned parking spots, but me, Steih, and Lili (Fa'alili Fa'amore) are some of the first ones here. So we fight over a good spot. There's a nice lady on the morning radio crew — Robin — who takes one of those spots too.
"I still do [show up early]. But every now and then, Steih beats me in, steals my parking spot and lets me know about it."
The competitive spirit extends far beyond the parking lot. Steih's emergence has underscored both the depth and the resiliency of a group that's been tested early in the season.
"That's the great thing about life — you never know what to expect," Kylany said. "But we're all we got, we're all we need, and we're a group that no matter what needs to be done, we'll find a way to get it done.
"Steih is killing it. He's a hard worker, and I see — and some of the coaches have told him this too — I see a lot of my younger self in Steih. Showing up early in the building, doing whatever you can to get on that field and get your job done. I appreciate everything Steih has done for this team and our unit."
The Wake Forest offensive line was hungry to hit the field after a 16-day layoff following the loss to in-state Big Four rival NC State.
"You never want to lose, and you never want to lose going into two Saturdays where you're not playing football and you're thinking about it a lot," he said. "Last week, we had a good week of work, and this week we're continuing to work. We know that when Saturday comes, opportunities don't come often. Whether it's a ranked team or not a ranked team, you've got to go out there and find a way to get a win. You don't want to go home losing."
Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert has seen Kylany's impact up close, not just on the field but in the locker room and in the program's culture.
"Yeah, and I wouldn't say he just followed me — he followed us," Dickert said. "That's really important. It's me, it's (strength and conditioning) coach Ben (Iannacchione) in the weight room, it's (offensive line) coach (Jared) Kaster. It's the trust we've built up over the course of really the last three years together.
"It's easy to identify sometimes in our current world of football who truly loves it — and he loves it. He's so true and authentic to himself. That's what you're experiencing hearing in these interviews. That is Devin Kylany. That's not something for show. He's just a tremendous human being."
Kylany joined returning Demon Deacons Nick Andersen and Demond Claiborne as captains for the 2025 season, selected through a vote from the players.
"He's a great leader, and I've really been proud to see him transition into a new place, a new culture, and be voted team captain," Dickert said. "That says a lot about what he does in that locker room and the things that I don't always see. He just gains a lot of respect from people.
"He wants to be a coach, and he's going to be a tremendous coach. He can relate to people in an elite fashion in ways that I'm still growing toward. So I'm just excited about his future, his journey, and all these guys who came here. Their trust in us has been very meaningful to me."
Like parking, not that it's any different at Wake Forest than most other campuses across the country.
So when George Steih moved to the first string after the unfortunate early-season injury to Clinton Richard, a trio of Demon Deacon offensive linemen suddenly started an impromptu competition for arriving first and earning the better parking spot.
"Parking spots are coveted for everyone on this campus," Wake Forest center Devin Kylany explained. "We don't have assigned parking spots, but me, Steih, and Lili (Fa'alili Fa'amore) are some of the first ones here. So we fight over a good spot. There's a nice lady on the morning radio crew — Robin — who takes one of those spots too.
"I still do [show up early]. But every now and then, Steih beats me in, steals my parking spot and lets me know about it."
The competitive spirit extends far beyond the parking lot. Steih's emergence has underscored both the depth and the resiliency of a group that's been tested early in the season.
"That's the great thing about life — you never know what to expect," Kylany said. "But we're all we got, we're all we need, and we're a group that no matter what needs to be done, we'll find a way to get it done.
"Steih is killing it. He's a hard worker, and I see — and some of the coaches have told him this too — I see a lot of my younger self in Steih. Showing up early in the building, doing whatever you can to get on that field and get your job done. I appreciate everything Steih has done for this team and our unit."
The Wake Forest offensive line was hungry to hit the field after a 16-day layoff following the loss to in-state Big Four rival NC State.
"You never want to lose, and you never want to lose going into two Saturdays where you're not playing football and you're thinking about it a lot," he said. "Last week, we had a good week of work, and this week we're continuing to work. We know that when Saturday comes, opportunities don't come often. Whether it's a ranked team or not a ranked team, you've got to go out there and find a way to get a win. You don't want to go home losing."
Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert has seen Kylany's impact up close, not just on the field but in the locker room and in the program's culture.
"Yeah, and I wouldn't say he just followed me — he followed us," Dickert said. "That's really important. It's me, it's (strength and conditioning) coach Ben (Iannacchione) in the weight room, it's (offensive line) coach (Jared) Kaster. It's the trust we've built up over the course of really the last three years together.
"It's easy to identify sometimes in our current world of football who truly loves it — and he loves it. He's so true and authentic to himself. That's what you're experiencing hearing in these interviews. That is Devin Kylany. That's not something for show. He's just a tremendous human being."
Kylany joined returning Demon Deacons Nick Andersen and Demond Claiborne as captains for the 2025 season, selected through a vote from the players.
"He's a great leader, and I've really been proud to see him transition into a new place, a new culture, and be voted team captain," Dickert said. "That says a lot about what he does in that locker room and the things that I don't always see. He just gains a lot of respect from people.
"He wants to be a coach, and he's going to be a tremendous coach. He can relate to people in an elite fashion in ways that I'm still growing toward. So I'm just excited about his future, his journey, and all these guys who came here. Their trust in us has been very meaningful to me."
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