The story of Leah Still and her triumph over cancer is nothing short of inspiring. The daughter of Houston Texans defensive lineman Devon Still has been followed for a while now as she battled cancer. To say her story is inspirational simply does not do it justice, but her life is still very much just beginning after defeating cancer recently. She already has her eyes set on her future, which will be attempting to follow in her dad’s footsteps as closely as possible.
Leah Still may not grow to play the role of defensive lineman like her father, but with any luck she will still be a part of the Penn State football experience in the years to come. She hopes to one day be leading the Beaver Stadium crowd in “WE ARE…” chants on game days.
“I would like to be a cheerleader at Penn State because my dad went there,” the adorable Leah said to Robin Roberts on Good Morning America Friday morning.
Leah Still says she wants to go to @penn_state like her dad and be a cheerleader. #LeahStrong #WeAre #PennState https://t.co/hDntqifLdm
— Good Morning America (@GMA) January 15, 2016
At least one former Penn State cheerleader is sending along her support…
I heard!! I am so excited for her and her family! ❤️RT @_Brittiney: @LittleMs_Korner https://t.co/aTXQUq8Qag
— Shauna (@LittleMs_Korner) January 15, 2016
You can do whatever you want, Leah. To so many, you are already a leader.
On a sidenote, Devon Still says now that his daughter’s battle with cancer is done, he plans on returning to the NFL in 2016. He took a bit of a gamble in removing himself from everyday NFL life to attend to his daughter, but it was not one he did without support from those in the NFL. The Cincinnati Bengals made room on the roster to allow for him to remain a part of the organization and receive medical benefits even though they knew he would not be participating much on the field. Still was waived by the Bengals in September, although the prior moves allowed Still a chance to keep the health insurance for five years so he actually parted ways on very solid terms. Still was just signed by the Texans, where he will resume his NFL career under former Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien, although Still never played a game for O’Brien in State College. Still moved on to the NFL the same year O’Brien was named head coach of the Nittany Lions. However, given O’Brien’s own family health concerns with his son Jack, you can be sure O’Brien has a soft spot in his heart for the battle Still has gone through for his daughter.
