The Houston Texans’ receivers will wear special cleats this week to honour their Canadian teammate as he continues to battle cancer.
Brampton, Ont. native John Metchie III was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia this past summer, forcing him to miss his rookie NFL season. His fellow receivers will wear custom orange cleats emblazoned with the words ‘Metchie strong’ against the Cleveland Browns this week as part of the league’s ‘My Cause, My Cleats’ campaign.
The Texans released a video on Tuesday showing the team’s receivers unveiling the cleats to Metchie. The shoes also feature orange ribbons, which are used as a symbol to raise awareness for leukemia and kidney cancer.
In celebration of #MyCauseMyCleats, the WR room will wear cleats honoring John Metchie III and his battle against leukemia🥋🧡 pic.twitter.com/ksfsJ425oJ
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 29, 2022
The Texans drafted Metchie in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft after a stellar collegiate career at the University of Alabama. He signed a four-year deal worth over $8 million and would likely have started as a rookie were it not for his diagnosis.
3DownNation’s John Hodge spoke to Toronto Argonauts’ defensive back Royce Metchie during Grey Cup week regarding the health of his younger brother. He indicated that John has made progress in his recovery, though there’s still no timeline for his return to the field.
“He’s actually doing pretty well. He just finished a chemo cycle, so he’s doing pretty well. Mentally, he’s strong and sharp and everything. Physically, he’s starting to get back active and stuff, he’s been working out with the team and all that, so he’s doing well,” said Royce.
“In terms of when he’s going to be back, I’m not too certain but I’m very confident that he will be able to play next year. He’ll be back.”