NASHVILLE – Joey Slye is living his dream – kicking in the National Football League.
Yet for Slye, there will always be something, or someone, missing.
Slye's childhood dream always included his older brother being with him. Slye lost his brother, A.J., to leukemia, back in 2014.
His mission today is to carry on his legacy with each kick, and conversation.
"Everything I do I try to bring honor and glory back to him and continue his legacy, which I feel like was cut short," Slye said. "We grew up playing sports our entire life, and my brother never got to watch me play in the NFL… I thought it would be incredible for him to witness, and have an opportunity to experience, with me. But I never had that with him. So, I try to do as much as I can to make it feel like he is still here. And I want to spread the word about him.
"He's the reason I do what I do. When people see me, I want them to see my brother, and I want them to know my brother's story."
The Titans signed Slye, who kicked for the Patriots in 2024, back in March to replace veteran Nick Folk. In his first six NFL seasons, while playing with the Panthers, Texans, 49ers, Commanders and Patriots, he's made 147-of-180 (81.7 percent) field goals. He made a 63-yarder, the fourth longest in NFL history, last season in New England.
Slye made his Nissan Stadium debut on Saturday, when he made all seven of his field goals – including a 66-yarder – during the team's open practice.
Slye, 29, said his mission this season is to put together the most complete season of his career, and he believes his chances are enhanced by being around new special teams coordinator John Fassel, and fellow specialists Johhny Hekker, the team's punter and holder, and long snapper Morgan Cox.
Also, one of his big priorities: Getting involved in the community in Tennessee.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis is especially close to his heart – it's where A.J. bravely fought acute myeloid leukemia before passing away on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014.
During his career, Slye has regularly visited hospitals to spend time with patients dealing with cancer. While with the Patriots, Slye went to Boston Children's Hospital, and was connected with One Mission, a Massachusetts-based pediatric cancer foundation for kids fighting cancer. While in Washington D.C., he went to Children's National Hospital.
Slye remembers well what his brother went through during his battle with cancer, when he went through chemotherapy, radiation, surgeries, and a bone marrow transplant.
"He battled for 14 months through one of the most hellish circumstances you could ever imagine, and did it with a smile on his face," Slye said. "The perspective it gave me as a young kid, and the life I wanted to live, is why I do what I do."
A.J. Slye was 2 ½ years older than Joey, and they did everything together.
While they were growing up, Slye's father served in the United States Air Force, so the family moved around a lot, living in California, Montana, New Mexico before settling in Virginia.
It made the brothers even closer.
A.J. was in his first year at Salisbury University in Maryland when he began having some neck and back pain. After undergoing tests, he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a rare form of blood cell cancer.
The battle took a toll on A.J.'s body, but not his spirit.
A.J. Slye was 20 years old when he died, less than two months before Joey turned 18, and about to graduate from high school.
Little brother will never forget any of it.
"I'm not sure there's a day that goes by that Joey doesn't bring up his brother, and his brother growing up," Hekker said. "It's definitely molded him into the man that he is today. Joey is a hard-working dude that is detail-oriented. The relationship he had with his brother growing up definitely made him a tougher person, which you have to be to be an NFL kicker.
"I love that he is using his platform now to raise awareness and funds for leukemia research, and for supporting families going through similar things that he did. I love seeing the heart he has for that community."
Slye has a tattoo on his right shoulder that shows a picture of he and A.J. the last time they played football together in high school at North Stafford. After successful kicks, Slye has raised six fingers skyward to honor his brother, who wore No.6 when they played together in high school.
The Slye family started the SlyeStrong#6 Foundation in honor of A.J, and every year, the foundation hosts a handful of events and charity drive to benefit hospitals and families navigating a cancer diagnoses. The Foundation also gives out six $2,000 scholarships. This year A.J. would've turned 31 and in honor of that, Slye is working to raise $310,000 for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.
Slye has used the NFL's My Cause My Cleats Initiative to highlight his brother's legacy.
"Any opportunity that I have to put a spotlight on cancer, cancer research, especially childhood cancer is something I want to get behind," Slye said.
Slye never hesitates to bring his brother up in conversations, and he never will.
When Slye and his wife, Brittaney, had a new baby girl in November, they named her Palmer Memphis Slye in tribute to her uncle A.J., and his time at St. Jude in Memphis, Tennessee.
"Whenever a tragedy happens, everyone has an introspective look, like, 'that could have been me'," Slye said. "A car accident happens, and people might think, 'that could have been me.' To me, it's made me think more like: 'What am I doing with the days that I am given? The things I go through, I think: What would my brother be doing in this instance?"
"What I try to do is have a lot of success throughout my career, and with that success I want it to follow with having the opportunity to have conversations about my brother, and the life that he lived and the fight that he had to endure."
