Jordan Devey: Mormon Athlete
Jordan Devey is a professional football offensive lineman, currently playing for the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
On April 27, 2013, Devey signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent. In September of that year, he signed to the New England Patriots practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster for the 2014 season. He was part of the Patriots’ Super Bowl XLIX championship. On August 18, 2015, Devey was traded to the San Francisco 49ers and at the end of his one-year contract, he was waived. On the same day, he was claimed off waivers by the Kansas City Chiefs. On September 4, 2016, he was waived by the Chiefs and signed to the practice squad the next day and was elevated to the active roster on September 17, 2016. He played in the first seven games in 2018, starting two at guard and center due to injuries, before being placed on injured reserve with a torn pectoral. In March 2019 he signed with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders.
Devey was born on January 11, 1988, in American Fork, Utah. He excelled in basketball, baseball, and football, but after being diagnosed with the knee condition Osgood-Schlatters disease, he set aside sports and played the tuba, trombone, and violin instead. He played baseball in the spring. He never played football at American Fork High School but watched from the sidelines. But after serving his mission to Costa Rica—where he grew two inches and was called "El Grande"—and after his condition improved, he decided to play collegiate football and walked into Snow College seeking a chance.
"He possessed all the natural attributes required of an elite college football lineman, but he had much to learn. 'At first, it all felt pretty foreign to me.' His offensive line coach, Dan Gerber, challenged him to approach the technical intricacies of his position in the same manner that he learned Spanish on his mission. 'Once I had that talk with him, things started to click, little by little,' he said."[1]
He finished his sophomore year with his team ranked number 7 nationally. He then took the offer to play from the University of Memphis and studied accounting. He participated in the Baltimore Ravens training camp in 2013 before signing with New England.
Devey married Linsey Hodgkiss, a Snow College basketball player who came from a football family. They have two children. They make their home near Kansas City despite the transient life in professional football.
