It was hard to find things to be happy about for the Texans last night, yet another loss in another disappointing season.
But for one player, it was the biggest game he’s ever played, because of what it represented.
Texans offensive lineman David Quessenberry got in as an extra blocker, marking his first action since coming back from a battle with cancer which lasted three years.
“It was everything I dreamed of while I was going through my treatments,” Quessenberry said, via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “Playing a full-speed game was exactly how I’d hoped it went. I would say it was very emotional for me and the people around me and for my family watching. It was just something special.”
The former sixth-rounder was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin T-lymphoblastic lymphoma in 2014, and went through years of treatment, including chemotherapy. Surviving was one thing, but to get back to the kind of shape required to play in the NFL was another. He lost 70 pounds during his treatment, which means he had to gain them back.
He was just promoted from the practice squad last week, and the Texans made him a captain for yesterday’s game in recognition of his work to get back. But once the game started, he had a job to do.
“I had butterflies when they called my personnel running out there and getting down in my stance,” Quessenberry said. “Once I started hearing the quarterback’s cadence, instincts take over and you go make your blocks.”
The fact that he could was another step in an amazing journey, and one he clearly hasn’t taken for granted.
