Devon Still

Devon Joshua Still was born on July 11, 1989, in Camden, New Jersey. He attended Howard High School of Technology in Wilmington, Delaware, where he was recognized as the Lineman of the Year by the Delaware Interscholastic Coaches Association. Still continued his football career at Penn State from 2008 to 2011, playing as a defensive tackle for the Nittany Lions. During his senior year in 2011, he distinguished himself by earning consensus All-American honors. Still was also named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, becoming only the second defensive tackle to achieve the former award. He was also a finalist for both the Outland and Bednarik awards, and was elected a team captain. He graduated with a degree in Criminal Law and Justice.

Still was selected in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, as the 53rd overall pick. He played for the Bengals for two seasons. In August 2014, following his daughter Leah’s diagnosis with Neuroblastoma stage 4 cancer, Still faced personal and professional challenges. The Bengals re-signed him to their practice squad, allowing him to continue providing for his daughter’s medical treatments while he recovered from a hamstring injury. He was later moved to the active roster on September 10, 2014, and recorded three tackles against the Atlanta Falcons. In 2016, he signed with the Houston Texans but was placed on injured reserve in October of that year. Still also had a brief stint with the New York Jets in 2017 before announcing his retirement from the NFL on December 23, 2017.

Throughout his career and particularly after his daughter’s diagnosis, Still became a prominent advocate for childhood cancer awareness. The Cincinnati Bengals supported his cause by selling his jersey to raise funds for pediatric cancer research and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, generating nearly $1 million. Leah Still’s journey, which included her being declared cancer-free in March 2015 and later in remission in November 2015, garnered significant public attention. In 2015, Devon and Leah Still received the Jimmy V Award for their resilience. Still continues his advocacy, notably partnering with United Therapeutics in August 2021 to launch the “Braving NeuroBLASToma” initiative.