Cincinnati Bengals Are Mean And Tough. But Prove They Have A Heart Of Gold.

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Sep 08, 2014, 06:10 ET

ROCKPORT, Texas, Sept. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Devon Still, Cincinnati Bengals' former defensive tackle, is 6 feet 5 inches and weighs 305 pounds. STICKMAN STEW^® measures 13 inches and weighs less than an ounce. Surprisingly, the two have a lot in common. Both are big on respect. And bigger still are The Cincinnati Bengals.

Devon Still and his daughter Leah and the Cincinnati Bengals won Stickman Stew's Gold Heart Award for respect (PRNewsFoto/STICKMAN STEW)

Just as the NFL season kicked off yesterday, the Bengals earned the Rockport, Texas toy company's prestigious Gold Heart Award for respecting Still's choice to be with his daughter when she needed him more than the millions of adoring NFL fans. "Both the Bengals and Devon Still truly have hearts of gold," said Jane Guinn, President of Stickman Stew LLC, maker of the plush toy line.

Devon Still was missing from most of this summer's practice, so naturally he failed to make the cut for the Bengals' 53-man roster. However, few people knew that Still's absence was because the player's daughter Leah was diagnosed with stage-4 neuroblastoma, a rare and serious pediatric cancer. The player missed practice sessions when he opted to stay close to his family in Delaware.

On Saturday, Bengals' coach Marvin Lewis offered the grateful Still a return spot on the team's practice squad and he'll remain covered by team health insurance. Now the player need not move elsewhere while he takes time off to be with his daughter.

"The Cincinnati Bengals and Devon Still are relentless pursuers on the field. But under all that padding, there's a beating heart," added Guinn.

STICKMAN STEW^® & THE GOLD HEART CREW™ is the only award-winning, posable plush toy line that exclusively promotes the value of respect as a character-building strategy to place children on the pathway to success. The Bengals' STICKMAN STEW Gold Heart Award will be sent to coach Lewis and can be seen on the toy company's web site, stickmanstew.com

For media inquiries:
Jack Goldenberg
[email protected]
973.590.7343

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140908/144168

SOURCE STICKMAN STEW