Former Alabama Standout John Metchie III Wins George Halas Award

The Halas Award is given to an NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed.

Sep 24, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III (8) catches the ball during the warm ups against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-USA TODAY Sports / Morgan Tencza-USA TODAY Sports

Former Alabama standout and current Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III was named the recipient of the PFWA's George Halas Award on Tuesday.

The Halas Award is given to an NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed. It is worth noting that Crimson Tide product and Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was one of two runner-ups for this tremendous honor.

After being selected with the No. 44 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Metchie hoped to make an immediate impact on the Texans, despite tearing his ACL in the SEC Championship game a few months before.

However, on July 24 of that same year, Metchie was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, sidelining him for his entire rookie campaign. Even though this form of leukemia is the most curable, it was unknown at the time if the former Alabama standout would ever see the field on Sundays.

Nevertheless, Metchie relentlessly worked his way back to the gridiron and was able to play snaps in 16 games this past season.

On Aug. 21, 2023, just a couple of weeks before the regular season, he reflected on his journey back to football, but revealed it wasn't the most important thing in his life.

"Although it's fun and it's what I dreamt of as a kid, there's a lot of bigger things in life and there are a lot of people facing real battles every day and have really bad days," Metchie said. "I guess perspective is the thing I walked away with."

Metchie explained that his darkest times during the cancer journey were when he made that realization.

"On days where it is hard or seems like bad days, I remember quite easily that there are a lot of bigger things in life than this game that we get to play for a living," Metchie said.

Houston is among the most populated destinations in the league for former Alabama standouts, as Metchie, edge rusher and 2023 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr., linebackers Christian Harris and Henry To'oTo'o and even head coach DeMeco Ryans spent Saturdays in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

These Bama connections were pivotal in Houston's massive turnaround, as the Texans went from 3-13-1 in 2022 to 10-7 and a Divisional Round appearance this past season. The organization has high expectations this upcoming season.