Last week the Cincinnati Bengals had to make a tough decision. They could cut ties with defensive tackle Devon Still, a second round pick of the franchise in 2012, or cut him and relegate him to the practice squad.
What made that decision even tougher was that Still had just recently found out that his four year old daughter had been diagnosed with cancer. The Bengals made the classy decision to keep him on the practice squad so that he was still eligible for insurance benefits to aid in his daughter's treatment.
At this point, you must be wondering what New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has to do with the story. Well upon hearing that the Bengals were not only keeping Still as part of the franchise, but that the team would also be donating all proceeds from his uniform sales to pediatric cancer care and research Payton was moved.
Let that soak in for a second. One of the money machines that call themselves an NFL franchise sold the uniform of a practice player and donated the proceeds to the cause. Wow.
But back to how Sean Payton fits into the story. Payton was so moved that put in a call and ordered 100 Devon Still jerseys, on his own dime, after hearing the story on the radio, per ESPN. The purchase brought an additional $10,000 in donations to pediatric cancer research. The Still jersey became the hottest selling jersey that the Bengals have ever had in its first 24 hours on the market.
“All the support that people have shown me and my family, it’s truly a blessing,” Still told the Bengals website yesterday. “I just wish my daughter could understand. But once she beats cancer and she gets a little older, she’ll be able to look back and see what it all meant.”
That's enough to give you chills. Classy move coach Payton.