Update!

NFL Player Devon Still Gives 4-Year-Old Daughter Leah the Sweetest Pre-Surgery Pep Talk

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle puts on a brave face even though he's "nervous and scared beyond words"

By Rebecca Macatee Sep 25, 2014 7:57 PMTags

UPDATE: "After a 5hr 50min surgery the surgeon was able to remove ALL of her tumor and all of her lymph nodes and her right adrenal gland where it all started from...best news I've received in a long time #PrayForLeah #GodIsGood #ThanksForYourSupport," Devon Still wrote on Instagram.

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Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still put on a brave game face for his 4-year-old daughter, Leah.

On Thursday, the athlete's little girl underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. Before Miss Leah checked into the hospital, though, dad delivered an incredibly sweet "pre-surgery pep talk" he posted to Instagram.

"I'm gonna ask you again," he says to his daughter, sitting behind him in the car. "I'm ready for today. You ready for today?"

Leah grins, clearly loving her father's enthusiastic encouragement.

"You ready to get this cancer up out of you?" Devon asks, eliciting another smile and an "mmm-hmm," from Leah. "Let's do it! Fist-bump!"

Then, the daddy-daughter duo do a non-contact fist-bump in in their reflection. And while you'd never guess it from Devon's actions, the 25-year-old was admittedly "nervous and scared beyond words," he wrote, "but I'll never let her see it...let's get this done!"

Per Cincinnati.com, Leah was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in June. Devon shared the news on Instagram "not for sympathy," he wrote, but "because I've come to the point where I no longer [am] feeling sorry but [want] to ask that y'all keep my daughter in your prayers..."

"The more prayers that go up, the move faith we [have] that she will overcome this obstacle," he wrote. "if y'all know me y'all know this girl is my world...I know that she is strong and she won't let anything hold her down without a fight."

As of Thursday afternoon, Devon had yet to post a post-surgery update on Leah's condition. We hope, though, dad has good news to share soon. Leah is certainly in our thoughts and prayers!