Devin Strader finally heard what he needed to know -- that Jenn Tran loved him -- on The Bachelorette's 21st season, and so he seems ready to get engaged to the upcoming finale.
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"I have never felt any type of way about a woman the way I feel for Jenn. I feel it in my bones that I'm the guy for Jenn," Devin told The Bachelorette cameras, adding, "I'm looking forward to the possibility of getting down on one knee with Jenn."
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But by that point, Jenn had only said she was "falling" for Devin, which made him feel like one of the guys rather than The One for The Bachelorette star.
Devin couldn't stand the idea of Jenn loving another bachelor and potentially professing her love to someone else, and so he started to spiral after his Fantasy Suite date with The Bachelorette star in Hawaii.
Devin admitted to The Bachelorette cameras that he was "slipping away" from Jenn and felt totally lost.
"I can't keep moving forward," he noted. "I can't do it anymore. I know what I need to do today. I need to talk to Jenn... This is probably the end for me, and it scares me to no end."
Devin therefore confronted Jenn about his fears and how he desperately needed her to profess her feelings for him because he felt like "the safe option" left on the show.
As Devin cried and unleashed his real emotions, Jenn quipped, "Devin, I do love you, you freaking idiot! I love you. I do. And sometimes I don't know how to be as amazing as you are."
Devin was elated, and then Jenn handed him one of her Final 2 roses.
Will Devin turn out to be the guy of Jenn's dreams, and if so, will they get engaged? Until The Bachelorette viewers can find out on the show's Tuesday, September 3 finale, let's learn some information about this bachelor right now.
Below is a list of 13 facts Reality TV World has compiled about The Bachelorette bachelor Devin Strader.
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Devin Strader reveals how he was cast on The Bachelorette
Devin revealed on the August 8 episode of the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast that his casting on Jenn's season is actually "a funny story."Devin revealed that his best friend's wife, Alexis, works for him and pulled the strings.
"I hired her a little over a year ago, and she said her first order of business, since I was a newly-single man looking for love, was to get me on her favorite TV show of all time. She's been watching since she was a kid, and that was The Bachelorette," Devin told Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt.
"So I got a call -- thought it was spam, and then I got a couple more, didn't answer it."
Devin, who had never watched The Bachelor franchise before and certainly wasn't a fan, said the casting department ended up calling and reaching out to Alexis as a result.
"She reached out to me and said, 'Hey, you should probably call these guys back. They seem like they're actually real people,'" Devin shared.
"I get a lot of spam calls with my company... and I think when I look back on it, I had a missed voicemail from someone saying, 'Hey, I promise I'm a real person. This is legit. Give me a call back if you're interested.'"
Devin therefore picked up the phone and returned the call, and he added, "And sure enough, I ended up on one of my now, [newfound] favorite shows of all time."
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Devin Strader operates a consulting company
According to Devin's LinkedIn profile, his company, F1 Freight Consultants LLC, is a full-scale, dedicated Truckload, and LTL service provider, that offers top-tier transportation services and solutions to a wide variety of industries.As a dedicated consultant firm, F1 also strives to deliver both the most cost effective solutions, as well as tackling transportation and logistics challenges throughout North America.
F1 Freight Consultants, LLC handles thousands of shipments monthly with streamline efficiency, and have proven to be a single source solution for all transportation needs.
Devin started the Houston-based company in March 2023.
Prior to launching Fast 1 Freight, Devin worked as the Vice President of Acquisitions for Shark Logistics, LLC from January 2020 to March 2023.
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The Bachelorette bachelor is a proud LSU sports fan
Devin attended Louisiana State University from 2014 to 2019, and he proudly represents and roots for the school's sports teams.ABC says Devin Strader is "100 percent husband material"
ABC says Devin is "the full package" who is "so ready" to meet his match, and the network added, "Devin is truly here to find his person and hopefully return home with Jenn by his side."Devin dreams of surprising his partner with romantic gestures throughout their relationship.
Devin considers himself extremely hardworking, passionate about his career, and proud of the business he's built.
When he's not working, he enjoys running and spending time with his dog, Charlie. Devin and Charlie are apparently a package deal.
Devin Strader needs a woman who can be a match for him socially
Devin is hoping his future wife is honest, kind, and embraces his big personality. He admits he's a bit loud and loves to talk.A big turn-on for Devin is also when a woman is well put together with painted fingernails and toenails.
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The Bachelorette bachelor has a unique outlook on love
Devin has been searching for "the most effort-yet-effortless" kind of love, according to BachelorNation.com.Devin says, "I know that sounds weird, but all love takes work, but the best love doesn't feel like you're working for it."
Devin Strader was raised by a single mother
Devin's mother got pregnant in college and had to drop out in order to raise him. Devin's mom worked two jobs while raising two sons, and Devin has issues with his father -- who emigrated from Mexico -- growing up."I wasn't a bad child, but I just didn't understand those things about [my mom] when I was young. I always idolized my father... and I saw how much that hurt my mom because she was the one who took care of me my entire life," Devin recalls.
"She never wavered once, no matter how much I lashed out or how much trouble I got in... She has taken care of me better than any father figure I've ever had."
Devin calls himself "family oriented." He admits he's loud and vocal today because he needed to be for his little brother growing up.
Devin would love to have a wife and family of his own one day, and he wants his future marriage to last.
Fellow The Bachelorette bachelor Grant Ellis has defended Devin Strader
Grant, who is competing against Devin on The Bachelorette's 21st season, recently defended Devin after drama unfolded during Jenn's first week of dates in Australia."I think Devin was locked in on Jenn... I feel like Devin, [Sam McKinney] and me, those were the guys who were really locked in," Grant admitted during a recent episode of the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast.
Grant gave Devin a pat on the back for having the courage to do his own thing and fight for Jenn amid backlash.
"I felt as though Devin, if he feels some type of way, he's going to say it and that's how he's going to do it," Grant told Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt.
"If he feels some type of way, that's what he's going to say and he's going to let you know about it -- and that's the way that I am! So I respected that."
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"Nobody is owed anything... If somebody feels like they're owed time, like, I don't owe you time... I'm trying to be with Jenn, so I'm going to approach it like that," Grant explained.
"If someone feels like they're owed time, they better wait in line," he added.
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Devin Strader has struggled with body-image issues
Growing up, Devin was a self-described "pretty heavy kid" with a lot of insecurities about his weight and how he looked."I almost didn't want to look at myself in the mirror," Devin admits.
Devin worked really hard to change that, but he still faces some setbacks to this day.
Jenn apparently gave Devin the confidence and inspiration he needed to dance nearly nude for her in front of a live audience.
Jenn Tran gives Devin Strader two The Bachelorette superlatives
Jenn Tran dished out superlatives for her cast of bachelors during recent appearances on "The Viall Files" and "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcasts.Jenn told Nick Viall that Devin is the "smartest" of all her suitors.
And Jenn told Joe and Serena that Devin is the "funniest" of all her men. She, like many viewers, compared Devin to comedian Pete Davidson.
Ben Higgins doesn't think Devin Strader is the guy for Jenn Tran
Ben, who had starred on The Bachelor's 20th season, confessed that he doesn't think Devin is the right match for Jenn.ADVERTISEMENT
Ben continued, "I also don't think he's the easiest dude to get along with because of how vocal he is and because of how much confidence he wants to portray and communicate."
Ben thought Devin went "way too hard" and "way too fast" in The Bachelorette process, adding of the drama, "I was like, 'Devin, back down. This is crazy.'"
Rachel agreed with Ben that she's seen major "red flags" with Devin and he's been giving her "the ick."
Devin Strader was "very surprised" by how The Bachelorette process worked for him
Devin revealed that he was "very surprised" by how quickly he fell in love with Jenn on The Bachelorette."I was very surprised [by how fast I fell in love]," Devin said on the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast.
"I was very, very surprised. I didn't come into the show fully knowledgeable of how it worked."
Devin commended The Bachelorette for putting him in situations that made him "really reflect" on what he wants out of life.
"All of the filler conversations go away, right? You really have to cut down to the meat and potatoes of who you are and your essence, and it really helped me open those walls for [Jenn] to see who I was, and it was great," Devin explained.
Devin therefore pointed out how it's "100 percent possible to" find true love on The Bachelor franchise, in his opinion.
Devin added, "I had never seen the show before, so I had very little knowledge of what I was even supposed to be doing there, other than obviously getting to know [the star]... I just wanted to go and meet a genuine person who could possibly like me for who I am."
Devin Strader admits he and Jenn Tran didn't have a connection right away
"I didn't think there was a connection right away with Jenn, especially since I started talking about feet right away," Devin admitted during a recent episode of the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast.ADVERTISEMENT
"I had relatively little knowledge of what I'm even supposed to be doing there, obviously other than getting to know this person," Devin acknowledged.
He continued, "I didn't know right away if she was into me. I didn't know Night 1 if I was going to be there in the next week."
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski