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          Former NFL player has a tie to $2.04B Powerball ticket

          Joe Chahayed, father-in-law of former NFL player Domata Peko Sr., was presented with a $1 million check after selling the lottery ticket that won a record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot. AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes
          • Ben Baby, ESPN Staff WriterNov 8, 2022, 10:02 PM ET
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              Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
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          CINCINNATI -- There's a Cincinnati Bengals tie to this week's winning Powerball ticket.

          Joe Chahayed, whose store sold the stub that netted $2 billion in winnings, is the father-in-law of former Bengals defensive tackle Domata Peko Sr., according to TMZ.

          That fortune has earned Chahayed a sizable payday, too. The Associated Press snapped a photo of Chahayed holding an oversized $1 million check made out to his store, Joe's Service Center.

          Peko appeared thrilled at his family's good fortune.

          "My Father In-Law Sold the winning PowerBall [ticket] 2 billion $, Congratulations Baba," Peko said in a post on Instagram on Tuesday.

          Peko played with the Bengals for 11 seasons after being selected in the fourth round of the 2006 draft. He also played two seasons for the Denver Broncos, then spent time with the Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals, with his last season coming in 2020.

          This isn't the first time Peko has made headlines recently. In September, Peko listed his longtime home in the Cincinnati area for sale, according to CityBeat. The house in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, which is less than 20 minutes south of downtown Cincinnati, was listed for $1.8 million.