Steelers News

Former Steelers Practice Squad Wide Receiver Dies at 35

Published

6 months ago

November 15, 2023

Heinz Field on Sept. 27, 2020. -- Alan Saunders / Steelers Now

Devon Wylie, a wide receiver who was briefly a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad, has died at the age of 35, according to his alma mater, Fresno State. A cause of death was not announced.

Forever a Bulldog.

Our thoughts are with the Wylie family during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/DxsPuonou0

— Fresno State Football 🏆 (@FresnoStateFB) November 14, 2023

“There are no words to express the sadness that comes from losing a brother, dear friend and an amazing uncle,” his family said in a post to social media. “Devon had so much love and joy to give. Always making people laugh and entertaining us with his football skills, guitar jams, silly jokes and voices, back-flip tricks, fun banter Star Wars obsession chat, Halo nights and not to mention his beautiful smile. We will miss him always.”

Wylie spent time on the Steelers practice squad during the 2013 season, his second in the NFL.

A 5-foot-9, 187-pound Sacramento, California native, Wylie was a fourth-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2012 NFL Draft coming out of Fresno State.

He spent one season with the Chiefs, and was used primarily as a return man over six games in his rookie season. He made one start and caught six passes for 53 yards.

In 2013, he was cut by Kansas City and bounced around the NFL, spending time with the Arizona Cardinals, Steelers, Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. After his time on the Pittsburgh practice squad, he played in two games for the Titans, exclusively on special teams, his final NFL action.

Wylie continued to hold down NFL jobs, though. He stayed with the 49ers through the 2014 offseason, then spent the 2014 season on the practice squad of the St. Louis Rams. He was cut after the following training camp and caught on with the Oakland Raiders and Atlanta Falcons in 2015.

Wylie played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League in the summer of 2016. In 13 games, he made 14 catches for 166 yards and scored one touchdown, his only as a pro.