Classy move by division opponent.
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Bengals' Signing Of Player Will Let Him Pay For Daughter's Cancer Care
by BILL CHAPPELL
September 06, 201410:02 AM ET
i
Defensive tackle Devon Still says that being on the Cincinnati Bengals' practice squad will let him keep his insurance and to stay close to his daughter, who's battling cancer.
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
It's possible that no NFL player has ever been so relieved to be on his team's practice squad. For Devon Still, the Cincinnati Bengals' decision means he'll be able to stay close to his daughter, who's fighting cancer and it will help pay for the roughly $1 million her fight will require.
Still is a defensive tackle who was drafted by the Bengals in 2012. He says he would have understood if the team didn't want him now, as he's admittedly distracted from football by the struggles of his four-year-old daughter, Leah, who has stage 4 cancer. As Still told the Cincinnati Enquirer this week, "They could have just washed their hands completely of it."
Instead, the team cut him from the 53-member squad that plays on Sundays, and then signed him to its practice team. The arrangement brings several big benefits. Still will keep his health insurance; he won't have to travel for road games. And at 25, he'll be able to work toward rejoining the team.
Those are all welcome developments for Still and his family. He says his daughter, who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in June, has now undergone four rounds of chemotherapy, and that she's due for surgery to remove a tumor later this month.
"Originally, when I found out, I was going to take the year off and just be there with my daughter, because doctors gave her a 50-50 chance of surviving," Still tells ESPN. "So, I wanted to be able to spend as much time with her as possible."
When he spoke to family and friends, Still realized how important it was to keep his health insurance, he says, "Because the type of treatment that she's receiving, it's going to come up to about $1 million."
His insurance would cover all of that amount, he says.
Still, who starred at Penn State in college, has started a fundraising drive to help Children's Hospitals in Pennsylvania and Cincinnati. And he says he appreciates the chance to stick with the team that brought him to the NFL.
"Because they know of my situation, the work environment is easier for me, because I'm around players that I know, that I care about, who care about me, and I'm around a coaching staff who cares about me."
"And right now, in the situation I'm in, I need to be in an environment where I know people care about my well-being, and care about my family's well-being."
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Even though they are a division rival, hats off to the Bengals for this.
My Prayers are for little Leah, Devon, & the Family.
God Bless.
Mike
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That is excellent. God bless him and his family.
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The only positive NFL news amidst a bunch of crap...
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I heard about this a few days ago, i beleive they've also activated him to the 53 man roster. The Bengals also are selling Stills jersey for $100 and 100% of the proceeds are going to the Cincinnati childrens hospital pediatric cancer care and research. I bought one yesterday and im gonna give it to my father in-law who is a huge bengals fan. Sean Peyton bought 100 of them! Good peeps!
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yes. this deserves some type of league recognition.
and recognition from all the talking head sports types.
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Hats off to the Bengals organization , very classy . My thoughts and prayers to the Still family.
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yes. this deserves some type of league recognition.
and recognition from all the talking head sports types.
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bengals have always seemed to be a pretty decent organization. Never got the douche chills off of them like other teams, not just in our division.
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Good move by all concerned.......but I do have a question:
Devon Still was considered to be a sure fire first round draft pick. When was he drafted? I thought very high. And how did his performance get him relegated to PS status if he was taken so high? Perhaps he was distracted by his daughter's situation?
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@douche-nozzle said:
I'm surprised the league isn't making a splash about this to divert attention from the light which is shining brightly on how corrupt and immoral the NFL really is.
Because its a team thing...the Bengals, the NFL probably had no say, thus can take no credit. Thats my guess.
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bengals have always seemed to be a pretty decent organization. Never got the douche chills off of them like other teams, not just in our division.
bengals have always seemed to be a pretty decent organization.
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