Team

MANE FACTS:

• DeVries is one of four players out of Aplington-Parkersburg (Iowa) High School to be currently playing in the NFL despite the fact that the school’s enrollment is only 200 students. The other three in the league are Casey Wiegmann (KC), Aaron Kampman (GB) and Brad Meester (Jax).
• Nominated high school coach Edward Thomas (Aplington-Parkersburg H.S.; Parkersburg, Iowa),who was named the 2005 NFL High School Football Coach of the Year by the NFL.
• Helped to purchase and shop for emergency relief supplies for Hurricane Katrina victims in 2006.
• Donated Lions’ home game tickets to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan and Our Children’s Homestead through the Lions CATS (Caring Athletes Ticket Service) for Kids program.
• Took part for fourth-straight year in the 2007 Lions Pet Calendar that helps to raise money for the Dearborn Animal Shelter.
• Honored as the Lions 2004 recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award, which recognizes men of courage in the NFL.
• Attended 13th annual Lions Courage House Dinner to help benefit HAVEN, Oakland County’s premier center for prevention and treatment of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.
• Participated in annual Lions Bocce Ball Tournament that raised over $100,000 for Detroit Lions Charities.

2009: Placed on the reserve injured list prior to the start of the season with a torn Achilles tendon.

2008: Started nine games and recorded career-highs with 45 tackles (22 solo) and four pass defenses. Had also had 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble.

• Posted six tackles (four solo) at Atlanta (9/7).
• Notched four tackles vs. Green Bay (9/14).
• Recorded first sack of year vs. Chicago (10/5) and had four tackles (two solo).
• Posted second sack of year at Minnesota (10/12) and added seven tackles (three solo) and one pass defense.
• Recorded six tackles and a career high three passes defensed at Chicago (11/2).
• Missed game at Carolina (11/16) with a hand injury.

2007: Had the most productive year of his nine NFL seasons. Has recorded career high 6.5 sacks and career high 3 fumble recoveries. His 54 tackles are also a career high.

• Inactive at Oakland (9/9) and vs. Minnesota (9/16).
• In his first action of the season at Philadelphia (9/23), made one tackle.
• DeVries had a dominating performance against Chicago (9/30), posting five tackles (four solo), 3.0 sacks (26 yards), two forced fumbles and one special teams tackle.
• His 3.0 sacks were a career high and all occurred with less than 2:00 to play in the game. Two of the sacks resulted in forced fumbles.
• At Washington (10/7), DeVries made six tackles (five solo) and one special teams tackle.
• DeVries made an impact against Tampa Bay (10/21), recording one tackle (one solo) and recovering a fumble inside the five-yard line that resulted in the Lions’ final touchdown of the day.
• Had four tackles (two solo) while starting at LDE against Denver (11/4).
• Posted four tackles (two solo) and one sack (5 yards) while starting at LDE at Arizona (11/11). His sack gave him 4.0 on the year.
• Made a career-high eight tackles (four solo) and recovered a fumble against the New York Giants while starting at LDE.
• Started at LDE vs. Green Bay (11/22) and posted two tackles (one solo) and a fumble recovery.
• Recorded his fifth sack of the season at Minnesota (12/2), a new career single-season best. Finished with five tackles (two solo).
• Posted his sixth sack of the season vs. Dallas (12/9) and had a forced fumble. Also had three tackles (two solo).
• Made four tackles (three solo) at San Diego (12/16).
• Had a key pass defensed on a two-point conversion against Kansas City (12/23). Also recorded three tackles (one solo).
• DeVries made six tackles (three solo) and produced half a sack at Green Bay (12/30) to close out the season.

2006: Started in a career-best nine games at DE, producing a career-best 37 tackles (18 solo) on the season.

• Had two tackles (one solo) and one tackle for loss against the Seahawks (9/10)002E
• Recorded one assisted tackle at Chicago (9/17).
• Inactive against Green Bay (9/24) and at St. Louis (10/1).
• Blocked his third career kick, and first extra point attempt, at Minnesota (10/8) and also added two assisted tackles.
• Saw time on the offensive side of the ball in short yardage situations vs. Buffalo (10/15), marking the first time that he has played offense since high school, while also making two tackles (one solo) on the defensive line.
• Made a season-best four tackles (two solo) at the New York Jets (10/22).
• In his first start of the season vs. Atlanta (11/5), and first since 2003 (12/28), DeVries made four tackles (three solo) and had one tackle for loss.
• Had a season-best five tackles (three solo) and two tackles for loss in his second start of the season vs. San Francisco (11/12).
• Started in his career-best third game in a season at Arizona (11/19) and made three tackles (two solo).
• Was credited with his first career safety after he touched down Patriots FB Heath Evans in the endzone who recovered a Tom Brady fumble forced by Kenoy Kennedy.
• Made one solo tackle and a career-high two pass breakups vs. Minnesota (12/10).
• Had three tackles (one solo) at Green Bay (12/17).
• Registered four tackles (one solo) vs. Chicago (12/24).
• Recorded three tackles (one solo) at Dallas (12/31).

2005: Tied his season career-high in sacks with 3.0 in 2005.

• Had a fumble recovery to set up a field goal at Tampa Bay (10/2) and a sack for a loss of 12 yards, to help prevent a Buccaneer’s touchdown.
• Recorded 2.0 sacks at Cleveland (10/23) for a loss of 7 yards. The game marked his first-career multiple-sack game.
• Had his second fumble recovery of the 2005 season vs. Atlanta (11/24). Recovery marked his first season with multiple recoveries.
• Recorded his second-career blocked field goal attempt in the second quarter at Green Bay (12/11) on a 38-yard attempt by Packers kicker Ryan Longwell.

2004: Was a key-member of Detroit’s ‘wedge’ on kick returns, which helped clear the way for All-Pro kick returner Eddie Drummond, who finished the season ranked second in the NFL in kickoff returns.

• Recorded a career-high 3.0 sacks for a combined loss of 14 yards.
• Recorded a sack for a six-yard loss and forced a Michael Vick fumble in the final minute to preserve the victory at Atlanta (10/10).
• Tallied a season-high four tackles at Minnesota (11/21) and at the New York Giants (10/24).
• Tallied one tackle vs. Washington (11/7) before leaving the game with a groin injury that would cause him to miss the next contest (at Jax 11/14).

2003: Had a career-best two starts and set a career-high with two forced fumbles.

• Recorded second career sack vs. Arizona (9/7) when he brought down Cardinals QB Jeff Blake and also forced a fumble.
• Made a huge play on special teams vs. Chicago (11/9) when he blocked what would have been a go-ahead field goal by Paul Edinger, the first field goal block of his career.
• Collected a season-high five solo tackles, which led the defensive line, and forced a fumble at Seattle (11/16).
• Tallied a tackle at Minnesota (11/23) before leaving the game with a shoulder injury which forced him to miss the next three contests.
• Got start at DE in place of the injured Robert Porcher vs. St. Louis (12/28), and tallied two tackles (one solo), his first career pass defense, two quarterback knockdowns and a pressure.

2002: Registered his first career sack at Minnesota (10/13), bringing down QB Daunte Culpepper for a four-yard loss.

• Inactive for three games due to the foot injury and was put on the Reserve/Injured list on December 10 for the final three contests. 

2001: Placed on Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list August 28, 2001 while recovering from surgery on July 24 to relieve a blood clot suffered in an off season workout. Returned to lineup vs. Cincinnati (10/28) and posted three tackles.

• Had season-high four tackles (three solo) at San Francisco (11/4).

2000: Recorded 35 tackles.

• Made presence known in season opener at New Orleans (9/3) when he forced and recovered a fourth-quarter Ricky Williams’ fumble.
• Collected a career-best six stops vs. Minnesota (10/1).
• Received first career start at New York Giants (11/19), seeing significant time in running situations.
• Inactive in season finale vs. Chicago (12/24) due to hand injury.
• 1999: Slowed significantly for majority of season while recovering from a training camp foot injury.
• Saw first game action in reserve role vs. Washington (12/5).
• Played his most significant game-action (12 snaps) of rookie campaign in regular season finale at Minnesota (1/2).

COLLEGE: Holds Iowa’s career record with 43 sacks and 79 tackles for loss.

• All-Big Ten first-team honors as a senior for third-straight season.
• Associated Press and Football News All-American second-team selection as a junior in 1997 as well as the team’s Co-Most Valuable Player, starting every game at left defensive tackle.
• Earned Big Ten and ESPN Player of the Week honors for effort vs. Michigan (11 tackles, three sacks and an interception).
• Football News All-American third-team pick as a sophomore in 1996 as his 22 tackles for loss tied the school season record.
• Started every game as a freshman in 1995, recording 54 tackles (26 solo), 12 sacks and 19 tackles for loss, and earned MVP honors in the 1995 Sun Bowl vs. Washington.

PERSONAL: Blue Chip Illustrated All-American and All-Midwest high school pick as a senior in 1993, adding all-state Class 1A honors as a senior and junior defensive end at Aplington-Parkersburg (Iowa) High.

• Also competed as a fullback, gaining over 4,000 yards.
• He and his wife, Jamie, have two sons: Jaylen and Easton.