Recently, Alabama has produced a large crop of talent both at the collegiate and at the professional level. The 2019 wide receiver room may have been the peak of the Crimson Tide’s talent at the position as it had four impact players taking significant snaps, and all four are likely going to be first-round picks.
But after losing players like Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs to the NFL and then speedy wide receiver Jaylen Waddle going out with injury earlier this season, Alabama was searching for someone to step up.
And that person has been sophomore wideout John Metchie.
Metchie’s play on the field has been solid, with flashes of being a dominant receiver in college football.
But what’s been overlooked has been Metchie’s impact on the team off of the field, where he has made big impressions on both the coaching staff and his teammates.
“John Metchie has been a very, very positive contributor to our team,” head coach Nick Saban said on Monday. “He’s tough. He plays hurt. He plays physical. He gets open. He makes catches. He makes plays. He never complains.
“So this guy is the epitome of what you look for in a wide receiver. And he certainly hasn’t disappointed us in terms of how he’s developed here, how he’s worked here and what he’s developed into.”
His offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian has also been pleased with the strides Metchie has made this season. With big performances against the likes of Texas A&M, Tennessee and Auburn his statistics and end of the season highlight tapes will be rich with success at the highest level.
“When he came in, he was the fifth guy in that room,” Sarkiain said. “I think to his credit he really tried to learn from those guys and he really tried to see what does Ruggs do, what does Drew do, what does Waddle do, and what does Smitty do, and how does it if it my game.
“When this year came around, he’s still a little unknown. A&M shows up and the guy has a breakout game against a quality opponent, top-five opponent in the country. I think that’s when he stepped on the scene. I think for himself the confidence kicked into all the work I’ve been putting in is starting to pay off now.
“He’s a huge asset to us. I think he provides, again, a lot of versatility. He’s a very smart player, which is key in our system. So complementary football with he and DeVonta, and then obviously what Najee is doing in the backfield, we’ve got some pretty savvy players that can move around the field.”
Metchie joined the Crimson Tide as a four-star athlete in the class of 2019 and had to work and wait his turn to get his opportunity on the field. And in that time he was able to form lasting bonds within the lockerroom and earn rapport with the older members of the team.
“I feel like he’s the ideal teammate,” senior offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood said when asked about Metchie. “He’s a very hard worker. He’s super selfless. He does everything that the coaches in the program ask him to do. And he’s just a hardworking guy, you know what I mean?
“He’s a good dude outside of football as well, a great friend of mine personally. But I like him a lot.”
Metchie has been an inspiration to a ton of young athletes showing them how to work hard and take advantage of their opportunities. But Metchie has had an underlying effect on his home country, Canada.
Numerous times this season reporters from the states and its neighbors in the north have praised Metchie’s play this season for becoming a role model for all young Canadian football players.
But Metchie has humbly shown gratitude for the ones who have come before him to lay the groundwork for his success, while also championing hard work and determination as to the cause for anyone to succeed with what they want to do.
“I think it was a great opportunity for me last year being behind all those receivers,” Metchie said. “I think it was a good opportunity for me to learn and take advantage of it and really see how they did things then and just kind of sit back and learn from them, like who really wouldn’t want that.
“I think for the second part of the question, I’m not really sure how I inspire an individual person. I just really want them to be able to know that if they want to play football at the highest level, that it definitely is attainable.”
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
