John Metchie III, a talented football player, finally got to play in his first NFL regular-season game for the Houston Texans. This happened in a game against the Indianapolis Colts. What makes this even more special is that it was his very first catch in his NFL career.
Although John had to overcome some really tough challenges to get to this point. Just last season, he was dealing with a serious illness called acute promyelocytic leukemia. That’s a tough battle, but he didn’t give up on his dream of playing in the NFL. In fact, he was drafted by the Texans in the second round back in 2022, which was a huge achievement.
NFL Debut for Metchie ☑️ pic.twitter.com/t7uOVFhQXB
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 19, 2023
Before his regular-season debut, John had a few ups and downs. He had some playing time in the preseason games, where he managed to catch the ball twice out of three times it was thrown to him. That’s pretty good! But then, he had to sit out the Texans’ first official game of the season because of a hamstring injury. It’s tough when injuries get in the way, but John was determined to make a comeback.
When he finally stepped onto the field for that regular-season game, it was like a dream come true. He was so excited to be back with his team, playing alongside his teammates. He told reporters that it felt surreal and amazing to be back playing football. Everyone around him was super happy and supportive. They could see how hard he worked to get back in shape and on the field.
Before his NFL journey, John played college football for the University of Alabama. He spent three years there, and in 2020, his team won the national championship. Over his college career, he played in 38 games and caught passes for a total of 2081 yards and 14 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his college career ended on a tough note because he tore his ACL in his last game with Alabama during the 2021 SEC Championship Game. This injury forced him to miss his team’s playoff game.
