A season and a game after it was supposed to happen, wide receiver John Metchie III made his NFL debut on Sunday. And he came out of his first regular-season action with his first official NFL reception.

The former Alabama standout ran out of the slot to catch a pass from quarterback C.J. Stroud for a 17-yard gain in the closing seconds of the Houston Texans’ 31-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium in Houston.

The reception came after Metchie arrived in Houston with a knee injury, turned back cancer last year and put a hamstring injury behind him this year.

Houston drafted Metchie after he had caught 151 passes for 2,085 yards and 14 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Alabama knowing he might not start his pro career on time. Metchie had suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his final game for the Crimson Tide – a 41-24 victory over Georgia in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 5, 2021.

But in July 2022, Metchie was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia.

According to the National Institutes of Health’s Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, acute promyelocytic leukemia occurs when “there are too many immature blood-forming cells (promyelocytes) in the blood and bone marrow. This buildup of promyelocytes leads to a shortage of normal white and red blood cells and platelets in the body. The signs and symptoms of APL include an increased risk both to bleed and form blood clots. Individuals may also experience excessive tiredness, pain in affected areas, loss of appetite and weight loss.”

The treatment needed to overcome the cancer cost Metchie his chance to play in the 2022 NFL season.

His preparations for the 2023 season were hampered by a hamstring injury that caused him to miss part of the on-the-field work during the Texans’ offseason program.

A hamstring injury also kept him from practicing for Houston’s opening game, and he was designated as a game-day inactive before the Texans’ 25-9 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 10 in the season-opening game.

In between, Metchie was able to play 33 offensive snaps in two of Houston’s preseason games and had a pair of 5-yard receptions and a 12-yard kickoff return.

The Texans visit the Jacksonville Jaguars at noon CDT Sept. 24 in Week 3 of the NFL’s 2023 season.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.