The Texans wide receiver recently announced he had been diagnosed with leukemia. After the news broke, NFL fans wanted to know about John Metchie III’s parents, family and upbringing.
Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III recently announced that he had been diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia.
The 22-year-old played college football with Alabama the Texans drafted him in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
In his three seasons at Alabama, Metchie caught 155 passes for 2,081 yards and 14 touchdowns. He caught 96 passes for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns last season. In 2021, Metchie tore his ACL in the SEC Championship Game.
What is Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia?
The diagnosis means the WR will miss his rookie season and was placed on the non-football injury list after the announcement.
“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. Thank you in advance for your support and well-wishes. I cannot wait to come back stronger than ever. God bless.”
According to the National Organization of Rare Disorders (via NFL.com), ‘Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a blood cancer characterized by a marked increase in a type of immature white blood cells known as promyelocytes.’
What we know about John Metchie III’s parents
The receiver was born on 18 July 2000 in Taiwan. John Metchie III’s parents are father John, who is Nigerian, and mother Joyce who is Taiwanese. The family lived in Taiwan for a while before moving to Accra, Ghana when he was one.
During an interview with ESPN John said he had no recollection of growing up in Taiwan. However, he went back to the country during his high school days to immerse himself in the culture and understand his roots more clearly.
“It was a surreal experience. I had always been a part of that culture, but being there, meeting everyone from my mom’s side, it was pretty cool,” John told The Undefeated.
His upbringing in Canada
When he was six, Metchie emigrated to Canada with his parents and four brothers to pursue better economic and educational opportunities. The family settled in Brampton, Canada, however, John’s father remained in Ghana.
Hockey was the country’s favorite sport but John and his brothers always had a passion for football, as well as soccer and lacrosse. In fact, it was his brother Royce who first introduced him to football. John said that his brother shaped the man he is today and is the reason he is the way that he is.
He commented that they ‘helped him with everything’ and ‘continue to be there for him unconditionally.’
John would later move to the United States to attend St. James School in Hagerstown, Maryland. He spent a post-graduate year at the Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey before committing to Alabama.
