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Jesuit's DeHeart eyes chance at pro career

The two-time state champion will attend the University of Illinois in the fall, but might leave early to improve his world ranking.

By EMILY NIPPS, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published May 23, 2002

TAMPA -- Ryler DeHeart's coaches warned him, but it didn't sink in until 9 a.m. July 1, 2001.

That was the first day college coaches and recruiters were allowed to pursue DeHeart, a rising senior at Jesuit with a 4.16 GPA and wicked serve.

The first call came, then the second, then the third. It was one after another with few breaks in between.

"We were bombarded with calls, letters, brochures," said Debbie DeHeart, Ryler's mother who works as a nurse recruiter for companies and hospitals. "I was shocked."

She "fell into the awe factor," as Ryler likes to put it, especially when they took visits to Harvard, Princeton and Brown.

"It was a good experience, but I didn't want to go to an Ivy League school where tennis would take a backseat," he said. "I wanted to get a nice balance of tennis and academics."

DeHeart settled on Illinois, which had the third-ranked Division I team this past season. DeHeart liked that Illinois coach Craig Tiley had the same philosophy and style as his current coach, Steve Smith (Smith actually taught Tiley how to coach).

Debbie DeHeart joked that she should have a T-shirt that reads, "My son could have gone to Harvard," but said she understood his decision.

DeHeart began playing in after-school tennis programs at the relatively old age of 8, but didn't become hooked until a year or two later. By age 11, tennis equipment sponsors were offering him free clothing and rackets, and by high school, DeHeart decided tennis was his calling.

DeHeart was the Class 2A state champion as a sophomore and senior. He was a finalist as a junior, but fell to Stefan Tell, the state's third-ranked player. He returned this season to beat Plantation American Heritage junior Milan Dimitrov in a quick 6-1, 6-2 match.

Hoping to start for the Fighting Illini as a freshman, DeHeart's goals for the next four years don't necessarily include a diploma. It's not something he likes to talk about, but it's a common practice for aspiring pros: Spend a couple of years in school, then focus on a tennis career.

DeHeart can always return to Illinois since his five-year scholarship allows him to take time off to build up his world ranking. If Wednesday's performance was any indication, DeHeart's dream to be a tennis player might not be that far-fetched. At the USTA Men's Futures tournament at Harbour Island Athletic Club in Tampa, DeHeart played the tournament's fifth seed -- Argentinian Nicolas Todero, ranked 316 in the world -- a few hours before his graduation ceremony.

DeHeart nearly took the match, dropping the tiebreaker to fall 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9-7).

"That was like a first test for me," DeHeart said.

"It's a good indication for things to come, and I think I should go for it. I don't want to regret not ever trying."

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