When the Cincinnati Bengals announced that all proceeds from sales of defensive tackle Devon Still’s jersey would go toward pediatric cancer research, they had no idea just how big it would get.
“We thought we’d sell a few,” Bengals Director of Sales and Public Affairs Jeff Berding told Cincinnati’s WLWT.
Sales of the jersey took off immediately when the announcement was made. The Bengals sold more of them in 24 hours than any player in team history, and it became their best-selling jersey. New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton bought 100 of his own. “A few” ended up being 14,945, and now the Bengals will donate $1.25 million to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital after the promotion ended Sunday.
Still’s story became the center of attention after the Bengals re-signed him to their practice squad after cutting him this season so he could keep his salary and health insurance in order to pay medical bills for his 4-year-old daughter Leah, who’s fighting pediatric cancer.
Leah is battling stage 4 neuroblastoma. She had surgery at the end of September, and doctors successfully removed her tumor. Leah still has cancer in her bone marrow, which the Still family hopes will be removed during upcoming treatments.
Photo via Aaron Doster/USA TODAY Sports Images
