Eight months after winning his battle against cancer — and nearly five years after being drafted — Texans offensive lineman David Quessenberry will dress for his first NFL game on Christmas.
David Quessenberry made his NFL debut on Christmas, 8 months after beating cancer
Quessenberry’s first game as a pro came nearly five years after being drafted.
Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images
Quessenberry’s return will be a rare bright spot in Houston’s lost season — an inspirational story that proves hard work pays off. He’ll have the chance to prove himself against a ferocious Steelers defense.
“For me, I get to play on Monday Night Football and on Christmas,” Quessenberry said Wednesday. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”
It’s a massive step forward in the 27 year old’s journey to the NFL. The former sixth-round pick didn’t see the field as a rookie after a foot injury landed him on injured reserve early in the season. That rehab was nothing compared to the challenge he’d face the following year.
The 306-pound tackle was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in June of 2014, ending his sophomore season before it could begin and starting nearly three years of chemotherapy and other treatments. His cancer went into remission the following February, but he wasn’t declared officially cancer-free and cleared to return to the field until April.
He played with the team this preseason but failed to make the team’s final roster. He spent the first three months of the season on Houston’s practice squad, grinding away in anticipation of Monday’s opportunity. On Christmas, he’ll see his labor pay off when he takes the first snap of his pro career, a mere 1,703 days after hearing his name called at the NFL Draft.
Despite the overwhelming gravity of his return, the fifth-year pro isn’t sweating the first regular season game of his career.
”I’m excited just to cut it loose and just play ball and just be like a normal player,” said Quessenberry. “I’m in the game plan. I’m really excited to suit up and play on Monday night.”
He was heavily featured in his first play as a pro. The Texans ran Lamar Miller off tackle, and Quessenberry took linebacker T.J. Watt out of the play en route to a 12-yard gain.
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