Devon Still Makes Cincinnati Bengals Roster and Crashes Servers
By Adam Hughes
Jul 26, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still (75) runs drills during training camp at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
So, you want a story to wash away the bitter taste left in your mouth by all the bad news about domestic violence, cancer, egotistical athletes and bottom-line sports teams? The Cincinnati Bengals and defensive tackle Devon Still have you covered, as reported in a series of Tweets and snippets over the last couple of days.
First, as Coley Harvey points out at ESPN.com, Still’s jersey smashed sales records and the team’s servers:
"At points Tuesday, the team’s pro shop website crashed from the response for Still’s jersey."
Then came the announcement that Still was back on the Bengals’ active roster:
Congrats to @Dev_Still71 on being signed to the Bengals active roster. Thanks to the Bengals organization for all their support
— Drew Rosenhaus (@DrewJRosenhaus) September 9, 2014
Still was initially left off the team’s 53-man roster when final cuts were made, but both he and the team acknowledged that move was made largely to ensure that he could care for his daughter, who is battling cancer. With one game behind them and the vow of continued support for the Stills’ unique situation, Cincinnati brought him back into the fold on Monday.
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According to coach Marvin Lewis:
"We think Devon is ready to rejoin our line rotation and be productive"
That sure sounds like Still will see some playing time, likely this week at home against the Atlanta Falcons. Based on the reaction to his and his daughter’s story to this point, we can expect a huge crowd reaction when he is inserted into the game for the first time.
This seems to be a rare case when everyone involved is doing everything right, and it’s great to see the Bengals continue to step up in this situation.