It may have been the strangest touchdown celebration in football history.
Last Sunday, John Metchie III, the younger brother of Toronto Argonauts safety Royce Metchie, scored his first NFL touchdown.
“I was at home with my fiancée,” Royce recalled for Argonauts.ca. “Every week I try to put time aside, get everything done that I have to get done early, just so I can catch his game because I know he’s usually tuned into my game.”
Metchie the elder wasn’t exactly glued to every play. He was at home multi-tasking while the Houston Texans had the ball on what would become a memorable drive.
“I was actually doing laundry while I was watching the game. When the drive started the announcer said, ‘Catch by Robert Woods,’ and I said, that wasn’t Woods, that looked like John. He had another catch later in the drive before they got into the red zone, and I said he’s got a good drive going on. When they got into the red zone, I got a good feeling and thought he might run a dig route. Sure enough, he ran a dig and went up and got the ball.”
Then came the unusual celebratory move.
“I said all this laundry’s getting folded again. I flipped it all up. Me and my fiancé were pretty excited. Everyone started texting me, my phone blew up.”
While most family members are thrilled for one another’s successes, this one was even more special because of the background.
In 2022 John Metchie had been selected in the second round of the NFL Draft out of Alabama. Shortly thereafter he received horrific news; at the age of 22 he had been diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia.
He’d miss that first season, but his recovery went well and he was able to play 16 games for the Texans last year, catching 16 passes for 158 yards, but did not find the end zone.
That changed last Sunday. Metchie was filled with joy for obvious reasons but also got emotional thinking about his brother’s journey to that moment.
“It was probably 80/20, it was more joy,” Royce explained. “That’s more important. It’s a blessing that we get to play a kids’ game for work. It’s even more of a blessing when we get to succeed at it. It was just joy in that moment.”
Playing in a Grey Cup game isn’t new to Royce Metchie. He recorded three tackles in the Argos win over Winnipeg in 2022, and while he didn’t play in the game, in his rookie season his Calgary Stampeders defeated Ottawa in the 2018 championship.
He doesn’t need any added incentive in the game, after all, he knows the ring is the thing. But there may be a little fuel added to #9’s individual game on Sunday.
“Before that, I was the only one that had a touchdown,” he deadpanned while trying not to crack a smile. “But now he’s got a touchdown, so I’ve got to score another one (laughs). As the older brother, I’ve got to stay one ahead of him, right?”
While asking a safety to score a touchdown in a championship game is a big ask, Metchie knows his defense is at the top of its game and he’s exceptionally comfortable with where they are. But…
“I still want more from us,” he said. “I think everyone, especially in the secondary, is coming into their own. Benjamin (Franklin) is playing phenomenal, T-Time (Tarvarus McFadden) is playing phenomenal. Mark (Milton) has been creating turnovers. I feel really confident in our guys and in our preparation this week.”
The Argos had great success against the Bombers in the regular season. The Double Blue D allowed 14 points in the first meeting between the two, then just 11 in the rematch.
Metchie puts little stock in those results.
“You know this is the last game of the year, so everything is going to come out now. I don’t really think too much about the past games, I just now they’re going to give us their best and we’re going to give them our best.”
Sunday’s kickoff can’t come soon enough.
