Content Warning: This article discusses eating disorders and associated behaviors.

Former Colorado football player and Seattle Seahawk Patrick Devenny spoke to students and staff in the Tippie College of Business on Monday, discussing his battle with bulimia after years of rigorous training as an athlete.

Standing at 6-foot-3, Devenny is breaking down the barriers keeping many collegiate athletes, both male and female, quiet about their struggles with eating disorders and mental health.

The northern California native was a heavily recruited football player coming out of high school. He left Roseville, California, as a first team All-Metro League selection and as the 14th-ranked quarterback in a state that has produced top-tier NFL talent such as Aaron Rogers, Tom Brady, and C. J. Stroud.

After the extensive college recruiting process, Devenny chose to take his talents to the University of Colorado Boulder.

Although Devenny came onto campus with intentions of playing quarterback, that would soon change, as the coaches believed his stature better suited him playing tight end.

“It completely changed my whole philosophy of football,” Devenny said. “It was illegal to hit me, and then now I’m the person that just gets beat up on the football field.”

Devenny was told by coaches to completely transform his physique to better suit his new position. The former quarterback ended up adding 15 pounds during this transition with strength and position coaches wanting Devenny to build as much mass as possible.

Devenny succeeded in this goal and closely followed every macronutrient that he consumed during his training regime. But this would quickly prove to be detrimental to his mental well-being.

After his career as a Buffalo, racking up six touchdowns, Devenny signed as an undrafted free agent with the Seattle Seahawks, keeping his dreams of playing in the NFL alive.

Until a wrist injury sidelined Devenny indefinitely, ending his NFL dreams.

After he was cut, Devenny spent time as a host at a restaurant, watching his friends from the sidelines achieve their dreams of making the NFL and the financial gains that coincide.

Feeling disconnected and lost in the world, Devenny’s bulimic behavior worsened.

According to the National Alliance for Eating Disorders, bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder where someone has regular episodes of binge eating — consuming a large amount of food in a short period of time — followed by purging, or getting rid of calories, often by vomiting. One percent of males will experience it in their lifetime.

However, Devenny believes the number is a lot higher, as many eating disorders for males go undiagnosed due to a lack of societal knowledge on the issue.

“I think if it was a level playing field, that number would skyrocket across the board,” Devenny said. “But instead, dudes are walking around with major depression and isolation, yet being applauded [for being fit].

“And it’s a conflicting thing for their mind to deal with,” he added. “You really don’t know what to think.”

In a system that is heavily reliant on wins and losses and where strength coaches may only care about a player’s weight increasing on a spreadsheet, it is possible for athletes to develop eating disorders.

Now recovering, Devenny spends his time as a consultant and mental health advocate, traveling the country and giving speeches to universities on eating disorders. That’s what brought him to the University of Iowa on Monday morning, speaking as a part of Tippie Thrive — a program aimed at improving student wellness.

Devenny now emphasizes helping college athletes recover from practices that have been ingrained in athletics for years. He includes a focus on encouraging male student-athletes to resist the societal stigmas for males to be strong and silent about their struggles.

“The biggest one for me is to not fall into the trap of ‘bro science,’” Devenny said.

Devenny explained “bro science” as when social media influencers who have no education or legitimate research on eating and training will offer something along the lines of, “Get shredded in under two months following this plan.”

Devenny hopes that if he can just help one person find help, his work is meaningful.