John Metchie describes his return to football after leukemia diagnosis

John Metchie, finally, is expecting to play a game that he loves after first dealing with a serious knee injury, then leukemia. The Texans receiver is healthy again and back on the field.

It’s like each snap in preseason is a gift. John Metchie met with reporters, Thursday, to talk about his training camp and the idea of playing again. After all, it was this time a year ago when doctors told him he had acute promyelocytic leukemia. It’s like everything changed, yet on the field, nothing has.

“This entire year has been eventful for sure, it’s had its ups and downs,” he said, “But being back on the field feels great. It’s been a long way coming. Definitely feels like a blessing … something I’m grateful for every day.”

#Texans John Metchie III @IiiMetchie @HoustonTexans @WME_Sports @KPRC2 @AlabamaFTBL on his comeback from leukemia pic.twitter.com/gZrCDKeFDS

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 3, 2023

The Texans traded up to select John Metchie with the 44th pick of last year’s NFL Draft. Team officials knew they would have to wait to see him play. After all, the former Alabama star tore his ACL during the SEC Championship game in December 2021. He needed reconstructive knee surgery. And to get back on the field after that kind of injury can take up to a year. Then right before the Texans opened training camp last summer, doctors diagnosed Metchie with the most treatable form of adult leukemia.

Can’t catch him 🥋 pic.twitter.com/XYefjlDaT6

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) July 30, 2023

Metchie participated in Texan OTAs in the off-season. But he also suffered a hamstring pull that slowed his progress. It was all a wait that pointed to this past week, when the receiver could catch passes from rookie quarterback CJ Stroud.

And yes, he did think these days would never come.

“I feel like at the beginning stages, of course, you don’t know what’s going to happen,” John Metchie said. “You don’t know what the future has in store for you. You of course hope that you can, that you can overcome it play football. I would probably say probably the beginning stages, there might have been some doubt. But I had a strong faith … and I have strong faith.”

He said the toughest part of the year was being away from his family. He grew up in Canada, although he went to high school in New Jersey.

“I think there are a lot of things challenging me spiritually, mentally, physically,” he said. “Of course, I think the most challenging part was kind of just dealing with it with my family, (them) being in a different country for the most part. They would come down, but most of them were in a different country.”

John Metchie will reach another benchmark in a week. That’s when he’s likely to play in his first game since the 2021 SEC title game. The Texans take on the Patriots on the road on Aug. 10.