Chris Rainey reflects on races vs. Noel Devine, Percy Harvin, ‘He Hate Me’ & more

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — On the last weekend in March, former Florida Gators running back Chris Rainey ran into his old nemesis, legendary high school star Noel Devine. Devine still holds a grudge against Rainey over their race from almost 18 years ago.

“He was like, ‘Rainey, I still want my rematch from ’05! I’m still mad about it.’ I bust out laughing,” Rainey told Gators Online of his recent interaction with Devine.

Devine, a five-star recruit from Fort Myers and future West Virginia running back, was reportedly in Lakeland for a flag football tournament and put out the word that he wanted to race. Rainey got a call that he was looking for him and went to find Devine.

They squared off in a Wal-Mart parking lot, where Rainey beat him three times. The result turned Rainey into a street racing legend, and his legend only grew at Florida.

Devine was one of several speed challenges that Rainey took on. He told Gators Online he raced a total of five UF football players, most notably against Jeff Demps.

“Noel Devine. Louis Murphy. Deonte Thompson,” Rainey said, naming off the races he’s had. “Percy.”

Percy Harvin vs. Chris Rainey

At Florida’s 2008 spring game, Rainey ran the 40-yard dash in blazing 4.24 seconds to beat Louis Murphy (4.25) and Deonte Thompson (4.28) in the fastest Gator on campus competition.

However, Rainey faced another former UF receiver in The Swamp — Percy Harvin — in a 40-yard dash. This matchup is unknown to most. Not even Meyer knew about it when asked by Gators Online.

“We did that on the football field in The Swamp. We raced three times, with Percy,” Rainey said. “He won one, I won one, we tied one.

“That was the first time I ever raced against somebody that had the same takeoff speed and everything as me. So, and he got muscle with his. That b***h fast, boy. He fast.”

Harvin ran a 4.41 at the NFL Combine coming off an ankle injury, but he clocked sub-4.4-second times in high school and college. Rainey ran 4.35 at Florida’s Pro Day and was reportedly timed on one stopwatch at 4.29 seconds by the Kansas City Chiefs during a 2013 workout.

Harvin beat him once on the grass, but did Rainey — who denies losing to Demps — ever lose to a UF teammate in a street race?

“Yes, I did. Chevy Walker my freshman year,” Rainey said, referring to former Florida running back Chevon Walker (2006-07).

Like Demps, Walker played football and ran the 100m for the Gators before transferring. After spring practice in 2007, Walker joined Mike Holloway’s team and competed on the track for the first time in two years, clocking a personal best of 10.51 seconds in prelims of the SEC Outdoor Championships.

“That b**th fast, boy,” Rainey said of Walker. “He was tearing it up in the CFL, too. Other than that, uh-uh. He was the only loss.”

Who was the toughest guy Rainey ever raced? It wasn’t Demps, Harvin or Walker.

“My brother,” Rainey said. “People think I’m fast, but my brother gave me a head start and still burnt me. So, people don’t know that. I don’t tell people that, but I’m telling y’all. Y’all said who was my toughest, and I still ain’t beat him yet.”

Rainey’s older brother is former CFL, XFL and NFL running back and kick returner Rod Smart, aka “He Hate Me”. Smart was a member of the track team at Western Kentucky, where he specialized in the 60 meters (6.86) and 100 meters (10.56) and owned a personal best of 6.36 seconds in the 55 meters.

“That’s the fastest person I ever witnessed in the history of racing, beside Usain Bolt,” Rainey said. “But other than that, my brother.”