UPDATE (Wednesday, 1 a.m.): Drew Rosenhaus, the agent for Devon Still, tweeted Tuesday that the Bengals have signed the defensive lineman from their practice squad to their active roster. As of early Wednesday morning, however, the team's official website still listed Still as being on the practice squad.
If the move is true, it marks the latest development in a remarkable couple of weeks for the player whose daughter is battling cancer.
Congrats to @Dev_Still71 on being signed to the Bengals active roster. Thanks to the Bengals organization for all their support
— Drew Rosenhaus (@RosenhausSports) September 9, 2014
There's more to the uplifting story about the Bengals' effort to support defensive tackle Devon Still, a player who was cut from the team but re-signed to the practice squad so his 4-year-old daughter Leah, a pediatric cancer victim, could continue receiving treatment and Still, a salary.
The Bengals announced on their Twitter page Tuesday that its pro shop would sell $100 Nike-made Still jerseys, donating the full proceeds to Cincinnati Children's Hospital for pediatric cancer care and research.
About getting cut from the team, Still said previously, "I completely understand where the Bengals were coming from when they cut me because I couldn't give football 100 percent." He added, "They could have washed their hands with me and said they didn't care about what I was going through off the field."
Help sack cancer with a @Dev_Still71 jersey. Proceeds go to benefit @CincyChildrens. More: http://t.co/kOuwYDKmCN pic.twitter.com/PmhP5F5o7g
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 9, 2014
Here's a photo Still posted of Leah this past Friday:
The Bengals drafted Still out of Penn State in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played in 10 games in 2013, defending three passes and recording seven tackles.
"Because they know of my situation, the work environment is easier for me because I'm around players that I know who I care about and who care about me,'' Still told ESPN about playing for the Bengals organization. "Right now, in the situation I'm in, I need to be in an environment where I know people care about my well-being, care about my family's well-being."
Still learned of Leah's stage-four pediatric cancer diagnosis -- specifically, neuroblastoma -- this past June. Upon the initial diagnosis, Still said that doctors gave her a 50-50 chance of surviving.
On Aug. 29, Leah began her fifth round of chemotherapy. Tests results coming in mid-September will indicate whether doctors can remove an abdominal tumor, which Still said will be the next step in Leah's recovery.
