TMZSports.com
EXCLUSIVE

Devon Still Goes to Bat for Marvin Lewis 'He Did a Lot for My Family'

Devon Still says he's rooting hard for Marvin Lewis to get another shot to coach in the NFL -- telling TMZ Sports he'll always be grateful to Lewis for helping to save his daughter's life.

Remember, it was Lewis who kept Still on the Cincinnati Bengals roster back in 2014 when his daughter Leah was battling cancer ... so she could keep the team health insurance coverage.

The story made national news -- and people from all over the country bought Still's Bengals jersey to show their support for Devon, Leah and the Bengals organization. It was an amazing thing.

The good news ... we got Still out in New York with 8-year-old Leah -- who's been cancer-free for 4 YEARS! It's an amazing story and Devon tells us he'll always be grateful for his former coach.

"He did a lot for me and my family during a time where I really couldn't do nothing for that organization," Still says ... "So, I definitely want to see him fall on his feet."

Lewis got the ax in Cinci last month after 16 years with the organization. The 60-year-old has suggested that he wants to continue coaching.

Still has chronicled Leah's battle in his new book "Still In the Game" -- in which he describes how he handled the pain and stress of watching his daughter fight for her life.

"I basically wanted to share my playbook that I taught my daughter how to beat cancer with, so people can overcome the struggles they're facing in their life."

Still retired from the NFL in Dec. 2017 -- and now focuses on helping other families going through a similar struggle.

Click here for info about our online advertising practices.