Leslie and Kerry Devey said their son may have suffered from CTE, though the suspected condition was never confirmed.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT — The parents of former NFL offensive lineman Jordan Devey are urging families to speak openly about mental health after their son died by suicide at age 38, while also raising questions about the possible effects of repeated head injuries during his football career.
Leslie and Kerry Devey said they believe their son may have suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, commonly known as CTE. The progressive brain disease has been associated with repeated blows to the head, particularly among people who played contact sports. The family does not have a confirmed diagnosis, and Devey’s father said the circumstances surrounding his death prevented the testing needed to provide a definitive answer.
“We believe that he possibly suffered from CTE,” Leslie Devey told FOX 13 in Utah. She said the family was grateful for the opportunities football gave her son but feared the sport may also have contributed to struggles his relatives did not recognize. “We also feel like this was partly why he’s not with us any longer at the age of 38,” she said.
Medical experts caution that CTE cannot be reliably diagnosed in a living person. A definitive diagnosis requires an examination of brain tissue after death. Researchers believe repeated head injuries are likely a cause of the disease, but they are still studying why some people develop it and others do not. Devey’s parents acknowledged that they may never know whether the condition played a role in his death.
Kerry Devey said the loss left the family questioning whether warning signs had been missed. “It brings in the what-ifs,” he said. “What if we’d have done something differently? What if we could’ve seen these signs?” He described the experience as overwhelming, saying a tragedy involving a child can bring even strong people “to your knees.”
Devey grew up in American Fork, Utah, where he marched in his high school band and played the tuba rather than football. After serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Costa Rica, he began playing football at Snow College. He later transferred to the University of Memphis and built a path to the NFL despite entering the professional ranks as an undrafted player.
Devey spent time with six NFL organizations: the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Raiders and Buffalo Bills. He appeared in 44 regular-season games, including 21 starts, according to NFL career statistics. He earned a Super Bowl ring as a member of the Patriots team that defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.
After leaving professional football in 2021, Devey settled in Idaho with his wife, Linsey, and their four children. He later coached high school football. His parents described him as energetic, generous and deeply devoted to his family. Leslie Devey called him the “ultimate family dad,” while his wife remembered him in a social media tribute as the family’s hero.
Devey died July 21, several days before what would have been his 15th wedding anniversary. Linsey Devey wrote that the couple had filled their homes and hearts with memories, struggles and triumphs. She said their children shared their father’s eyes, freckles and compassion. An online fundraiser was established to help the family with medical and living expenses following his death.
His parents said they learned at a Boise hospital that Devey had registered as an organ donor. Leslie Devey said the decision allowed something meaningful to emerge from the family’s loss because his donation could help other people. She and her husband now hope that speaking publicly will encourage people experiencing mental health problems to tell someone they are struggling.
“We want people to understand that it’s okay to reach out,” Leslie Devey said. “That help is there, and there’s nothing wrong with you for reaching out. You’re not fighting the battle alone.” The family’s belief that Devey may have had CTE remains unconfirmed, and no definitive connection between the suspected disease and his death has been established.
Author note: Last updated July 26, 2026.