HOUSTON — "Wow, what an awesome story."
Those were the words of Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans Wednesday when asked about defensive end Dylan Horton returning to practice this week after battling stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
The above video originally aired in March.
Horton hadn't played since Nov. 2023 when he announced he was stepping away to take care of an unspecified illness. In March, he revealed he was diagnosed with cancer last December but was in remission.
“I’m grateful for the love from my family and friends, and support from the Texans organization and my doctors,” Horton said in the message.
Horton said then that his focus was completing his treatment and then he would get back to football.
"The way he handled it and the mindset at which he handled it, he always still attacked it with a smile, he attacked it with a great attitude every single day," Ryans said. "Everything he went through, I can’t say Dylan had a bad day because he never showed it and that is just proof to everyone that no matter what we are going through, a lot of people are out here battling cancer, battling things in life. Attacking it with the right mindset, a positive attitude really goes a long way and Dylan represents that. We are all very thankful and happy to have him back today.”
On Saturday, the Texans announced Horton was off the reserve/non-football illness list.
Horton was a rookie last season, a fourth-round pick by the Texans out of Texas Christian University. He's a native Texan from Frisco north of Dallas.
Wide receiver John Metchie III missed his rookie season battling cancer. Matchie returned to the team and played last season.