WATCH: DeVonta Smith honors former teammate John Metchie III with t-shirt ahead of Eagles-Texans game
Plenty of the former Alabama Crimson Tide football players are a tight knit fraternity. It showed up on Thursday Night Football when former Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith decided to honor one of his former Alabama teammates with a t-shirt ahead of the Eagles vs. Texans game. Check out the shirt he wore for John Metchie III, who was diagnosed with leukemia before his rookie season with the Houston Texans.
The two players also shared a brief moment together before the game.
Amazon Prime broadcast team updates fans on Metchie’s progress
As Houston took on the Philadelphia Eagles Thursday night, Prime Video sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung provided a promising update on Metchie’s progress.
Metchie was on the sideline for the game against the Eagles, looking on as the Texans tried to knock off the NFL’s last remaining undefeated team. He’s been on the non-football illness list since August, but Hartung said the former Alabama standout is coming along well in his recovery.
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“[Metchie] was diagnosed with leukemia just before his rookie season started,” Hartung said on the Prime Video broadcast. “He spent a month and a half in the hospital for treatment. Now, he tells me he is halfway through his outpatient chemotherapy regiment.
“Just as important to his recovery, he told me, has been getting back into a routine with his teammates. He says, ‘This is what I know. This is where I’m most comfortable.’ Dameon Pierce told me Metchie has been working out with them like he could suit up tonight.”
Before the game, the Texans tweeted a video of Metchie getting his teammates ready for the prime time showdown against the Eagles.
He was expected to contribute to the Texans this year before his diagnosis
Last year at Alabama, Metchie was one of Bryce Young’s go-to targets as the Crimson Tide rattled off a run to the national championship. He had 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns before Houston selected him No. 44 overall in this year’s draft despite tearing his ACL.
After announcing his diagnosis, Metchie confirmed he was planning to miss the 2022 season due to his treatment.
“As a result of this diagnosis, I will likely not be playing football this season,” Metchie wrote. “My main focus will be on my health and recovery. Thank you in advance for you support and well-wishes. I cannot wait to come back stronger than ever. God bless.”
On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this article.