David Quessenberry hasn't played a down in a regular season game, but he's made a Pro Bowl impression on his coaches, teammates, and competitors around the the NFL.
The second-year offensive lineman is on injured reserve due to his fight with lymphoma. He was diagnosed in June, and shortly therafter, his teammates Chris Myers and Duane Brown spearheaded an effort to raise funds for the Lymphoma Foundation by selling 'Texans for DQ' t-shirts.
Bill O'Brien only got to coach him for a chunk of OTA's, but Quessenberry made a major impact on the new head coach.
"What an incredible guy," O'Brien said on Tuesday. "I mean I can't say enough about this guy. The other day I looked up, we're in a team meeting and he was sitting there. It's unbelievable."
Quessenberry was battling Derek Newton for the right tackle position before he was diagnosed with
lymphoma. He wasn't feeling well, but played through the pain before finally checking in with the team's medical trainer Geoff Kaplan.
"Here's a guy that practiced with that for about four or five days before he actually said something was wrong with him," O'Brien said. "That's a tough, that's just a unique person."
As he's gone through chemotherapy treatments since, Quessenberry has checked in when possible to soak up as much football as possible. His presence has been a welcome sight to O'Brien and the Texans, and the head coach is pumped for the atmosphere Thursday night when Quessenberry will lead the team on to the field as the Homefield Advantage Team Captain.
"We love to see him around," O'Brien said. "I know the fans will love seeing that on Thursday night. It's a pretty good night and it will be a great night for the city of Houston."
Across the field, the evening will be special for Colts head coach Chuck Pagano, who beat leukemia in 2012.
"DQ is a good friend of mine and a guy that helped me with the book that we put out," Pagano said. "He's battling. He's one tough cookie and I know he's got great support there. Just like myself, you don't get through this stuff alone without your faith and your family and community. I know that team and that community has rallied around him. It will be a special moment obviously for him."
Quessenberry will present a check for $100,000 to the Lymphoma Foundation during the game.
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