In May 2018, Andre Hal was twenty-five years old and living the dream. Starting safety for the Houston Texans. An NFL career in full stride. The kind of athleticism and speed that earns you a spot on one of the most competitive rosters in professional sports.
Then the phone call came. Hodgkin's lymphoma. Cancer of the lymphatic system. The career, the dream, the plans — everything went on hold in a single conversation.
The Diagnosis
Hodgkin's lymphoma. It is one of the more treatable forms of cancer, but make no mistake — it is still cancer. It still requires chemotherapy. It still ravages the body. And for a professional athlete whose livelihood depends on peak physical condition, a cancer diagnosis is not just a health crisis. It is a career crisis.
The Houston Texans placed Hal on the non-football illness list. His season, everyone assumed, was over before it started.
The Response
What set Andre Hal apart was his response. Where most people would have understandably crumbled, Hal was steady. Almost impossibly steady. He told reporters: "God has a plan for me." He said it without hesitation. Without qualification. Without the kind of hedging that people do when they are not sure they believe what they are saying.
Hal believed it.
His teammates rallied around him. The Texans organisation supported him completely. The Houston community sent prayer after prayer. Hal's locker remained in the team room. His presence was felt even when he was not on the field.
The Treatment
Hal underwent chemotherapy through the summer and into the autumn of 2018. While his teammates were running drills and preparing for games, he was in treatment rooms and recovery beds. The physical toll was enormous. Chemotherapy strips the body down to its studs.
But Hal kept his eyes fixed on two things: his faith and his return. He never wavered on either.
The Return
In November 2018 — just six months after his diagnosis — Andre Hal was cleared to return to the Houston Texans active roster. Let that sink in. Six months from a cancer diagnosis to an NFL football field.
He played his first game back in December 2018. The same season he was diagnosed. The same team. The same position. The stadium erupted. His teammates mobbed him. It was one of the most emotional moments of the NFL season.
Hal did not just survive cancer. He outran it.
What This Means for You
Andre Hal's timeline is extraordinary. Most people do not go from cancer diagnosis to professional sport in seven months. That is not the point. The point is what carried him through: an unshakeable belief that God had a plan, a community that prayed without ceasing, and a refusal to let cancer write the ending of his story.
If you are facing a diagnosis that feels like it has taken everything from you — your career, your plans, your identity — Andre Hal's story says: it is not over. God is not finished. The field you think you will never stand on again might be closer than you think.
And the people praying for you? They are not wasting their time. They are part of the plan.
