Hal relishes his ‘milestone’ interception
With months of uncertainty and serious health concerns behind him, Texans veteran safety Andre Hal is thoroughly enjoying his return to play again.
In remission from a lymphoma diagnosis, Hal intercepted his first pass of the season Sunday during a 29-13 win over the Cleveland Browns. Hal capitalized on an errant throw from Browns rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield.
It was a significant moment for Hal.
“It means a lot,” Hal said. “I had to get back into the flow of the game. I think I’m finally catching my rhythm now. Through my whole journey, it’s not coming to an end. I’ve still got a long way to go, but it just felt like a milestone I got to.”
A former seventh-round draft pick from Vanderbilt, Hal is a cancer survivor after using untraditional treatments to battle to regain his health after being diagnosed in the spring when he experienced blurry vision at practice.
“Here’s a guy that has meant a lot to me, personally,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “Just a special guy, very hardworking guy, excellent pro. To see him make that play and the week before he made a real big tackle on the kickoff coverage, he’s just made some solid plays for us since he’s been back.”
Hal said the support of his teammate, coaches and Texans fans has been extremely meaningful to him.
“Just seeing them showing me love, it’s a great thing,” Hal said. “Not just me, it’s about everybody dealing with stuff, dealing with cancer, dealing with any kind of illness. You can overcome it.”