When John Metchie III caught a 3-yard touchdown pass in the Houston Texans’ 28-10 NFL preseason victory over the New York Giants on Saturday, the wide receiver scored for the first time since catching a 13-yard touchdown pass in Alabama’s 41-24 victory over Georgia in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 4, 2021.
Metchie celebrated the touchdowns the same way – by striking the Crimson Crane pose.
Metchie said former Alabama teammate and current Texans teammate Christian Harris encouraged him to adopt the cheering stance popular during the Crimson Tide’s 2021 season.
“It feels really good,” Metchie said after Saturday’s game. “Shout out to C. Harris. I hadn’t planned on doing it for a while, but he told me something this morning that made me do it.”
Between touchdowns, Metchie overcame a knee injury and cancer.
During the same period that he scored against Georgia, Metchie suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Because of the injury, he missed Alabama’s CFP games against Cincinnati and Georgia and later played for Houston after the Texans selected him in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Metchie missed his entire rookie season, but his knee injury was not to blame. He was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia shortly before his first training camp.
Metchie returned and caught 16 passes for 158 yards in 16 regular-season games and three passes for 44 yards in two postseason games during the 2023 season. But he didn’t reach the end zone in a Houston uniform until he caught a pass from quarterback Case Keenum as the Texans took a 14-7 lead with 3:48 left in the first half on Saturday.
“I don’t give myself too much time to take it all in because I’m still young and I’m still writing my story,” Metchie said, “and that’s where my head is, I’m just where my feet are. I don’t look at my story like I’m closing a book or anything. I’m still writing it every day, so I try to be where my feet are every day and just keep building.”
Metchie caught passes for 19 yards on third down and 15 yards on first down during the 12-play, 79-yard drive that ended with his touchdown. He finished Saturday with six catches for 68 yards, making him the game’s leading receiver.
Before Saturday, his best performance in a Texans uniform in the preseason, regular season or postseason came in the first round of the AFC playoffs on Jan. 13, 2024, when he had three catches for 44 yards in a 45-14 win over the Cleveland Browns.
“You feel comfortable out there,” Metchie said. “Your confidence doesn’t waver because you know it’s all about timing, space and opportunity. And just like a receiver, even if you have a drop, we’ve caught so many balls in your life that it doesn’t really break us. You’re going to have some drops in your life. Your confidence stays the same. But a day like today just shows you keep working, it will show up in due time.”
Houston coach DeMeco Ryans said Metchie’s story resonated with his teammates.
“I thought Metchie did a really good job today, just catching the football and making some great plays for us,” Ryans said. “It’s exciting to watch Metchie make those plays. I don’t think anyone is more motivated than his teammates. You see the other receivers and their genuine excitement for him when he makes those plays and the whole team is rooting for him to do well and he did a really good job today. And that’s why I think you play the preseason games, that’s why you have training camp, to see guys continue to grow and get better and shine when the opportunity presents itself and Metchie had a really nice day today.”
Texans quarterback CJ Stroud is one of those enthusiastic teammates.
“Metchie has worked really hard,” Stroud said. “He’s a good friend of mine, someone I respect a lot. It’s just exciting to see him showcase all of his talents and abilities, so I’m really happy for him. I think he’s going to be a great addition to our team. And for him to be back to full health and feeling back in shape, I’m really happy for him. It’s just getting started for him.”
Metchie is fighting for a spot on Houston’s roster behind Nico Collins, Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs.
Diggs was signed in a trade with the Buffalo Bills in April and recorded 107 receptions for 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023, his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl season.
Collins, a former Clay-Chalkville High School standout, had 80 catches for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023.
Dell, who began his college career at Alabama A&M, had 47 receptions for 709 yards and seven touchdowns when he broke his leg in the 11th game of his rookie season in 2023.
The Texans will conclude their preseason play on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. CDT against the Los Angeles Rams at NRG Stadium in Houston. The regular season begins on September 8 against the Indianapolis Colts.
“That’s already behind me,” Metchie said in the locker room after Saturday’s game. “It’s just a matter of how I can observe it and learn from it. …
“It’s still a journey. We have a goal. The team has a mission. We all have a mission, and that is just to keep building, learn from it – the good and the bad – and get back to work. Honestly, I’m ready to get back to work.”
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
