Former Kansas City Chiefs player Jordan Devey has died, according to wife’s post

Former NFL offensive lineman Jordan Devey, who played for the Kansas City Chiefs for three seasons beginning in 2016 and went on to become a beloved youth football coach, has died, according to his wife.

Read more Another store clerk in SC busted for lottery fraud, SLED says

She posted the news of his passing on social media Thursday night. His last words to his wife, Linsey Devey: “We’ll talk soon.”

He was 38.

After he left football the Deveys lived for a while in Johnson County. They and their business partners opened two locations there, now closed, of California-based Cookie Co. in 2023.

“Kansas City loves Kansas City,” he told The Star at the time. “There’s so many big things going on here.”

“Today would have been our 15th year anniversary,” Linsey Devey posted on Instagram. “We have filled the walls of our homes and hearts with countless memories, joys, struggles, and triumphs.

“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.’”

According to a GoFundMe website to which Linsey linked, Devey took his own life.

As a child he suffered from Osgood-Schlatter disease, a temporary but painful knee condition that caused him to stop playing football for several years when he was in eighth grade.

Forced to watch football from the sidelines, he took up playing the tuba. He joined the nationally acclaimed American Fork High School marching band in Utah and performed at President George W. Bush’s Inaugural Parade in 2005. That prowess on the tuba made him stand out on every NFL team for which he played.

After high school Devey spent two years in Costa Rica as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

When his knee issues were no longer a problem, the 6-foot-7, 250-pound Devey walked onto the football team at Snow College in Utah and finished his college career at the University of Memphis before entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2013.

He played for six NFL teams, including the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Raiders. He was with the Patriots when they won the Super Bowl in 2015.

He signed with the Chiefs in 2016.

Devey was a popular youth football coach in Eagle, Idaho, where stories of his work with children in that community hit social media as word of his death spread.

“There are people who leave a legacy far greater than wins and losses. Jordan Devey was one of those people,” the Eagle Stallions football team wrote on its Instagram.

Read more A new local café has opened in a popular retail district. Check out where

“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.

“The fields won’t feel the same without him, but his influence will never leave them. Every practice, every game, every lesson about teamwork, perseverance, and doing things the right way carries a piece of what Jordan stood for.

“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.”

In a Friday Facebook post, Robert Gillis, a member of the Eagle City Council, wrote about a developer and family that attended a city council meeting in May to “advocate for a large home build in the Avimor area.”

“During the hearing, I discovered the hopeful homeowner was an Eagle High School Football Coach named Jordan Devey.

“He was a very big strong healthy looking man who was very respectful and likeable. Even though that night, we did not approve the build without some amendments, he left our meeting very respectfully.

“I was extremely sad to get the phone calls and texts last night, which notified me that Coach Devey had died … I am a huge advocate for mental health and wellness.

“We never know the internal demons and stressors that people in our sphere are facing. They can put on happy faces and act as though they have everything handled, and then something like this occurs.

“It is not a unique issue with any special demographic or economic group in our society. Suicide has no boundaries and it has unfortunately touched a lot of lives in our country, state, valley, and city. It is something we may not be able to prevent, but we have to do better to keep trying. Every life is worth saving.”