The parents of late NFL offensive lineman Jordan Devey have opened up about his suicide, their suspicion that he suffered from a degenerative brain disease, and the importance of mental health awareness.
‘We believe that he possibly suffered from CTE,’ Leslie Devey, Jordan’s mom, told Salt Lake City’s Fox 13.
Jordan’s parents did not blame football entirely for the tragedy, but Leslie did admit she feels the game is ‘partly why he’s not with us any longer.’
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, can only be diagnosed posthumously. But while the degenerative brain disease has been found in a number of former NFL players who died by suicide, the manner of Jordan’s death prevents any such testing.
‘Because of the condition of what happened with his death,’ Jordan’s father, Kerry, told Fox 13, ‘we’re not going to be able to test for that and have a definitive answer.’
Kerry did not elaborate on the manner of his 38-year-old son’s suicide and no further information has been revealed. Jordan’s wife, Lindsey, shared the news of his death late Thursday night in an emotional Instagram tribute posted on what would have been the couple’s 15th wedding anniversary.
Devey, pictured with wife Lindsey and three of their four children, made 44 NFL appearances
Lindsey shared this picture of Devey at the hospital along with her touching tribute
Jordan Devey’s parents Leslie and Kerry (right) urged families to take mental health seriously
‘We have filled the walls of our homes and hearts with countless memories, joys, struggles, and triumphs,’ Lindsey wrote alongside photos of the couple.
‘We brought 4 beautiful children into this world that have your eyes, freckles, and compassion. You were our hero and our hearts ache in your absence. We love you. We miss you. And as you said in your last words to me, ‘we’ll talk soon.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched on behalf of the family to help care for Jordan’s wife and their four young children.
‘Tragically, Jordan took his own life, leaving his family to navigate an incredibly difficult and heartbreaking time,’ the page reads. ‘As they face overwhelming emotional and financial challenges, including mounting medical expenses, the community is coming together to support Lindsey and their children.’
Speaking to Fox 13, Jordan’s parents admit they’re facing ‘what-ifs’ about their son’s NFL career and his later troubles with mental health issues.
‘What if we’d have done something differently?’ Kerry asked, rhetorically. ‘What if we could’ve seen these signs?’
Most importantly, Leslie encouraged anyone dealing with mental health issues to reach out for help.
‘We want people to understand that it’s okay to reach out,’ Leslie said. ‘That help is there – and there’s nothing wrong with you for reaching out. You’re not fighting the battle alone.’
‘You think you’re strong until something like this happens…and it brings you to your knees,’ Kerry added.
Former NFL star and Super Bowl champion Jordan Devey has died by suicide at the age of 38
Devey’s wife, Lindsey, shared the news late Thursday night in an emotional Instagram tribute
Jordan had been out of the NFL since 2020. Following his playing career, he transitioned into coaching, most recently serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Eagle High School in Idaho.
Community members remembered Devey as a devoted mentor and faithful volunteer who spent countless hours coaching youth sports and serving in his local church.
He was deeply loved by his players at Eagle High, who saw the former NFL lineman as a trusted mentor, role model and friend.
The fundraiser, which set a goal of $200,000 to assist the family with immediate expenses, highlighted Devey’s deep roots and dedication to his community.
‘Jordan Devey was a cherished member of the Eagle community, known for his unwavering dedication to serving others,’ the page noted, adding that he spent ‘countless hours volunteering as a coach’ and serving in his local church.
Jordan, who went undrafted out of Memphis in 2013, spent eight seasons in the NFL, playing for the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills before retiring in 2021.
Over the course of his professional career, he appeared in 44 regular-season games and made 21 starts across stints with the Patriots, 49ers, Chiefs and Raiders.
Before reaching the NFL, Jordan took a remarkably unconventional path to professional sports, playing tuba in his high school marching band after Osgood-Schlatter disease prevented him from playing high school football.
He later served a two-year mission in Costa Rica for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before walking on at Snow College and eventually transferring to Memphis, where he earned second-team All-C-USA honors.
Jordan earned a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots during the 2014 season, appearing in six regular-season games during New England’s championship run.
Seau died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2012. He’s since been diagnosed with CTE
His suicide came four months after Minnesota Vikings receiver Rondale Moore took his own life and eight months after Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland shot himself in the head after evading Texas police. Kneeland, who was reportedly battling mental illness, sent his family a group text saying ‘goodbye’ during his police chase, according to 911 dispatchers in Texas.
A Harvard study published in January found the suicide rate of former NFL players spiked in comparison to their NBA and Major League Baseball counterparts from 2011 through 2019.
Published in the Journal of Neurotrauma, the Football Players Study at Harvard University tracked deaths among NFL, MLB and NBA alums over a 40-year period beginning in 1979. Over that time, there were 101 reported suicides among former athletes from those leagues, but it’s the NFL that is disproportionately represented over the final decade.
According to researchers, the suicide rate of ex-NFL players was 2.6 times higher than ex-NBA and MLB players. Those former NFL stars include legendary San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau, ex-Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson and the Atlanta Falcons’ Ray Easterling, all of whom were posthumously diagnosed with the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
But study co-author Rachel Grashow does not see head trauma as the lone potential factor in the findings. Rather, she believes there are a number of causes that need to be studied at greater length. She also referred to a 2024 study that found a third of former NFL players battle health issues such as low testosterone, depression, and sleep apnea.
Curiously, players dealing with those health issues were more likely to think about self harm than those who believe they’re suffering from CTE, which can only be diagnosed posthumously.
Moore graduated from Purdue in 2020, completing a degree in selling and sales management while earning an impressive 3.5 GPA. His college coach described him as a ‘joy’ to work with
And as for her own research, Grashow believes the rise in suicides among NFL players begins around 2011 because that time period coincides with enhanced awareness about CTE and its consequences.
‘We believe 2011 was a pivotal year for that conversation, when the publication of scientific studies on brain injury, neurodegenerative disease, and football accelerated,’ she said in an interview with the Harvard School of Public Health.
‘In particular, CTE—a neuropathological condition that is determined only through autopsy, and that cannot yet be diagnosed or treated in living patients—gained attention in a series of highly publicized research articles. There were also a number of high-profile deaths by suicide among some NFL players after 2010 that were discussed publicly.’
Co-author Marc Weisskopf stressed that ‘there are many possible contributing factors,’ including the potential for misleading data.
‘It’s also possible that deaths among NFL players that would not have been classified as suicides by medical examiners prior to 2011 may have been labeled a suicide after 2010, as a result of greater awareness of issues related to head trauma,’ said Weisskopf. Additionally, high profile suicides have been known to cause a ‘copycat’ or contagion effect called the Werther effect. More research is needed to determine the individual contributions of each of these factors.’
Both the NFL and the players’ union, the NFLPA, used the study’s release to encourage ex-players to address symptoms that can lead to suicidal thoughts.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.
