Devon Wylie, Former Kansas City Chiefs Speedster, Dies At Age 35

Devon Wylie, a fleet receiver who played for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tennessee Titans, has died at age 35, his family announced.

“Words cannot describe the heartache we all feel as a result of Devon’s passing,” the family said in a statement sent to HuffPost Wednesday by Wylie’s sister, Dene Ogles. “Devon was a devoted son, grandson, brother, uncle, teammate and friend. He touched so many lives as a result of his love for the Lord and his special talents on and off the field.”

The family is awaiting the result of an autopsy report, and is asking “for privacy surrounding the matter,” Ogles said.

Wylie starred at Granite Bay High School in the Sacramento, California, area, and at Fresno State, before clocking an impressive 4.36 40-yard dash time at the 2012 NFL Combine.

“Speed kills. That’s how I’ll make it in pro ball,” he once told the Sacramento Bee.

The Chiefs drafted Wylie in the fourth round, and he played in six games his rookie season in 2012, catching six passes for 53 yards while returning kicks and punts. He played in two games for the Titans in 2013.

After the San Francisco 49ers signed him to the practice squad in December of that year, the well-traveled Wylie told the Bee: “I know a lot of teams have been bringing me on to these practice squads, basically as an extended tryout. And for one reason or another, they need to bring in another guy because someone gets hurt. And I get booted. If they keep me, they’re going to get my best.”

In 2016, Wylie made 14 receptions for 166 yards and a touchdown for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.