Several communities are mourning the loss of a coach and family man, Jordan Devey, after the Utah native and former NFL player died last week at the age of 38.
Devey’s death and the circumstances around it have elicited an outpouring of support. His wife, Linsey, confirmed his death on social media Thursday, sharing that he died just days before the couple’s 15th wedding anniversary.
After speaking with his family, KSL reported that Jordan Devey, whose family had settled in Eagle, Idaho, attempted to take his own life Tuesday and that his wife found him. With help from a 911 dispatcher, she performed CPR on her husband.
Doctors declared him brain dead Wednesday, according to KSL, though Linsey’s actions made it possible for Jordan to be an organ donor.
On Sunday, Maggie O’Mara of KTVB in Boise shared video of hundreds of people lining the hallways at St. Alphonsus in Boise as part of an honor walk to honor Jordan Devey’s life and his decision to donate his organs.
“We’re only beginning to understand that he was fighting a battle that he very well kept hidden from everyone,” his mother, Leslie Devey, said in an interview with KSL.
“We know it has been ongoing pretty serious for the last two years … Jordan was very much not willing to share his burdens with others but take on others’ burdens.”
Added Kerry Devey, Jordan’s father, “Even Linsey was unaware … the troubles and the problems he was dealing with.“
Jordan Devey’s parents suspect that chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive brain disease associated with repeated head trauma and commonly linked to the physicality athletes often endure in football, may have contributed to Devey’s mental health struggles.
“We believe the possibility of that was very true, simply because he had signs and symptoms,” Leslie Devey told KUTV 2. “And the fact of the brutal beatings that he’s taken over the years playing on the field, but also during practice.”
Leslie told KUTV 2 that Jordan had been researching CTE before his death and “was experiencing some of those symptoms.”
Due to the circumstances surrounding his death, though, doctors are not able to test for CTE, according to KUTV. CTE can only be tested for postmortem.
Jordan Devey was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who was born and raised in American Fork. In high school, he didn’t play football as he dealt with a medical condition called Osgood-Schlatters disease, which involved inflammation of the growth plate just below the kneecap.
A doctor recommended he stop playing football until he stopped growing. Devey did, however, play tuba for the nationally acclaimed American Fork High Band, then served a two-year church mission to Costa Rica.
Upon returning from his mission, with Osgood-Schlatters no longer an issue, the 6-foot-7 Devey walked on to the Snow College football team.
“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,” his offensive line coach at Snow, Dan Gerber, told the Deseret News in 2015. “And when he did that, everything kind of fell into place.”
Snow College was also where Devey met his eventual wife, Linsey, a basketball player for the Badgers.
Following his time at Snow, Devey starred for three years on the offensive line at Memphis, earning second-team All-Conference USA honors as a junior, before pursuing a pro career.
He played in the NFL from 2013 to 2020 — appearing in 44 games, with 21 starts — and won a Super Bowl title with the New England Patriots in 2015.
Devey originally signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 2013 after he went undrafted, then he ended up playing for the Patriots for two years, including starting at guard in six games during their Super Bowl-winning season.
Devey also played for the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills before retiring in 2021.
His path to the NFL was an inspiration. At various points in his career, both the Deseret News and Church News were among those who chronicled that journey.
“I know the Lord has been mindful of me throughout my career,” he told the Church News’ Jason Swensen in 2020. “I’m just very fortunate and blessed to be able to do this.”
Following his passing, the Raiders, now located in Las Vegas, shared a message on social media that said in part, “The loss of a member of the Raiders family is felt deeply across our organization and throughout Raider Nation. We join those mourning Jordan’s passing and honor his memory with gratitude and respect.”
Following his playing days, the Devey family lived in Kansas City before most recently landing in Eagle, a suburb of Boise. There, the father of four served the community as a youth football coach and was the offensive line coach for the Eagle High football team.
“There are people who leave a legacy far greater than wins and losses. Jordan Devey was one of those people,” the Eagle Stallions U11 youth football team wrote on Instagram. “Jordan’s impact on youth sports in Eagle wasn’t measured by trophies or championships— it was measured by the lives he touched.
“He believed in kids, invested his time, shared his knowledge, and helped build confidence, character, and a love for the game in countless young athletes. He made every player feel seen, every family feel welcome, and every team stronger because of his presence.”
“... Our community has lost an incredible mentor, coach, and friend, but his legacy will continue to live on through the generations of young athletes he inspired. Rest easy, Coach.”
