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Cincinnati Bengals: Devon Still and Leah have a wonderful week

By Nick Ziegler

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One of the greatest stories in the 2014 season was the Devon Still and Leah Still story of the Cincinnati Bengals.

In the 2012, the Bengals drafted Still in the second-round of the NFL Draft from Penn State with the 53rd overall pick. Still hasn’t reached the potential of a second-round pick, but he has become one of the better known names in the NFL after last season.

Still may not be a star in the NFL, but him and his family’s story is truly inspirational to everyone. Still’s daughter Leah was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma in June, which is an awful disease for anyone, and especially for a little girl. The chances for survival from it are generally 50-50, but Leah has stayed strong despite the difficult odds.

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At the end of training camp last season, Still was cut by the Bengals, which like most employees without work, means he would have no health insurance for his daughter. The Bengals would sign Still to the practice squad soon after, and then in September, Still would be moved onto the 53-man roster. With Still on the Bengals’ roster, he was able to provide the medical care needed for Leah, whose medical expenses could have reached over $1 million. If Still wasn’t on the Bengals, the care that his daughter needed would have been difficult to acquire.

She underwent surgeries to remove a cancerous tumor from her stomach. In addition to the surgeries, Leah also went through chemotherapy and stem-cell treatments to defeat the cancer. After months of treatment and fighting, the Still family got some great news, as on Tuesday doctors said they didn’t see any active disease in Leah.

Just a few days after they received the great news about Leah’s health, her dad was signed by the Bengals. Still was an unrestricted free agent, but decided to remain with the team that helped him so much through his difficult time.

In November on Thursday Night Football against the Cleveland Browns, the Bengals would honor Leah. The Bengals donated $1.25 million to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center from sales of Still’s No.75 jersey. In a league that has seen so much negative from its player’s off-the-field, it’s great to see an inspirational story like Leah’s. In January, the Still’s wrote a children’s book to help other kids that are going through similar things to Leah.

On the field, Still will now be part of an improved Bengals’ defense that has signed linebacker A.J. Hawk, and Still’s former teammate Michael Johnson. Still will likely still be a backup defensive tackle for the Bengals in 2015, but Leah’s great news will surely be a weight off his shoulders. Last season Still was coming back from back surgery, which was a reason that he was cut by the Bengals originally, but in 2015 things are looking up for Still and his daughter Leah.

Next: Is the signing of Michael Johnson enough for the Bengals' pass rush?

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