John Metchie III, a rookie wide receiver for the NFL’s Houston Texans, on Sunday announced that he is unlikely to play this year after being diagnosed with a treatable form of leukemia.
The Texans selected Metchie, a 22-year-old Canadian, with the 44th overall pick in April’s NFL Draft after he caught 96 passes for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns last year for the University of Alabama.
“Recently I was diagnosed with APL [acute promyelocytic leukemia], the most curable form of leukemia,” Metchie said in a statement. “I am currently receiving great medical care, am in good spirits and I expect to make a recovery at a later point in time. As a result of this diagnosis, I will likely not be playing football this season. My main focus will be on my health and recovery.”
Photo: AP
APL is a type of blood cancer that sees a major increase in immature white blood cells known as promyelocytes.
Former Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with APL in the 2012 campaign and took a three-month leave of absence for treatment.
He returned for the Colts’ playoff run that season.
Metchie was born in Taiwan to a Nigerian father and Taiwanese mother.
His family moved to Ghana when he was one year old and later moved to Canada.
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