Metchie was born in Taiwan, but moved to both Ghana and eventually Ontario in his youth.
He told the gathered crowd he dreamed of making it in the NFL and left home around the age of 13 to attend a private boarding school in pursuit of it.
The experience taught him independence at a young age.
After initially flying under the radar as a college recruit, attendance at camps put his name on the map and Metchie said he had his pick of almost any school in the United States.
He spent three years with the highly-touted University of Alabama before being drafted in the second round by the Houston Texans.
However, Metchie tore his ACL late in the 2021 season and then just two weeks after being cleared from the injury, he was diagnosed with leukemia and missed the entirety of his 2022 rookie campaign with the Texans.
“Setbacks don’t mean stop,” Metchie said during his remarks. “Things not going your way doesn’t mean it’s not meant for you.”
Metchie said habits he’d created as a high schooler served him well during dark times early in his pro career.
“Being able to be a disciplined person, and that’s bigger than sports, that’s as a human being. Whether you’re able to be disciplined in your day-to-day as a person, how you live your life, and then if you’re able to consistently show up, those are the biggest intangibles in my opinion.”
He added professionals, in all fields, are not looking for someone who can be good once, “but somebody that can consistently be good.”
Metchie split last season with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jets, starting a career-high seven games, registering 33 receptions for 274 yards and two touchdowns.
He said he hopes the kids assembled Tuesday take away a fresh perspective on their goals and ambitions, whether they’re linked to football or not.
“The belief in themselves, that they can make whatever dream they have come true. Whether it’s athletically, academically, whatever dream they have that they hold dear, that they can make come true themselves, they don’t need permission from anybody to make that dream come true. All they need is the belief in themselves.”
Metchie’s visit came while he was visiting family in the Lower Mainland, with a friend of his sister asking whether he’d come speak in Nanaimo.
Subscribe to our daily news wrap. Local news delivered to your email inbox every evening. Stay up to date on everything Nanaimo and Oceanside.
Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook