PHOENIX — Six years ago, fresh off an LDS mission to Puerto Rico, Jordan Devey couldn't envision where he'd be this weekend: in the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots.
What's happened since for the American Fork native and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints paints an unorthodox journey to pro football's biggest stage.
"Obviously, I didn’t have any idea that could happen at that point. When I first walked on at Snow (College), the goal was to make the team there," Devey said during Super Bowl Media Day on Tuesday. "And then the goal was to play little by little."
Little by little has slowly built to something big: earning the chance to represent the Patriots as they face the defending champion Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday at University of Phoenix Stadium.
Devey did it all without ever taking the field during his time at American Fork High. Despite having the size of an offensive lineman, he didn't play football in high school because of a medical condition called Osgood-Schlatters disease, an irritation which caused pain and swelling below the knee. Devey, instead, played tuba in the band.
But when he returned from the mission, the disease was no longer a problem, and the 6-foot-6 Devey decided to make a serious run at playing football. It started at Ephraim's Snow College.
"He sought us out," said Dan Gerber, Snow's run game coordinator and offensive line coach from 2006-11. "He wasn’t in great shape when he came home, but he worked hard to get into great shape and did everything that we asked him."
Gerber described Devey the way the vast majority of pro players could be portrayed: ambitious, hard-working, really wanting to do well. And even though Devey was thrust into a prominent role, success had to come step by step.
"He wanted to be the best, and he wanted it right away, and a lot of times he had to be patient and let it come to him," Gerber said. "And when he did that, everything kind of fell into place."
Devey said his faith helped keep him focused on the long-term.
"The work I do now may not pay off tomorrow, but it might pay off a year from now," he said. "Eventually you’ll reap the benefits and blessings of it."
Devey's initial goal of earning playing time paid off, as evidenced by the path that's transpired. Following two seasons at Snow, where Devey played every game as a freshman and didn't allow a sack the next season, he moved up to Division I football at the University of Memphis. There, he started two straight seasons at three different positions and played every snap possible as a Tiger.
That kind of success earned him an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine. Though he wasn't drafted, Devey signed a free-agent deal with Baltimore. When that didn't work out, he signed with New England and spent his first NFL season, in 2013, on the practice squad.
Fast forward a year, and Devey had taken leaps in both experience and playing time. Desiring to see what they had in Devey, the New England coaches played the now 6-6, 317-pounder extensively during the preseason. He even started four games in the first half of the 2014 season.
"I feel like wherever I’m at, there’s somebody I can learn something from, whether it’s multiple people or one single person," Devey said. "If someone has more experience than me, I can be in their ear to get tricks."
Devey's on-field role has diminished since then, as he's played just once since mid-October. He's currently the team's third-stringer at left guard and left tackle. Devey is still making impressions, though.
"He’s a great teammate," Patriots starting left tackle Nate Solder said about Devey. "He’s fallen into the group of a lot of guys that are working hard, doing our best to improve every week."
Devey sees growth in himself, with the vision to know he can continue to refine his craft.
"It’s a learning experience, and I feel there’s still a lot I can do and improve on," Devey said. "That is the goal to always get better and focus on what’s important."
The Utahn has support surrounding him in an offensive line group that is set to protect quarterback Tom Brady when he plays in his record sixth Super Bowl on Sunday.
"I think it’s amazing to think of, we all come from different backgrounds and all different kinds of places and overcome various challenges to get to this point," Solder said. "It’s certainly humbling and an honor to even be here."
There are still bigger things ahead for Devey, including becoming a more consistent contributor for the traditionally successful Patriots program.
Considering the path he's taken, though, the path Devey has taken to his first Super Bowl is paved with success.
"It speaks a lot to what he wanted out of life — being motivated to be the best and reach some height he probably would never think of before on his mission," Gerber said. "As doors opened, he worked harder and harder."
Email: bjudd@deseretnews.com; Twitter: @brandonljudd