David Quessenberry: 'I will be back out there'

June 10, 2014. It's been almost a year exactly since Houston Texans offensive lineman David Quessenberry was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Now, a year later, Quessenberry is cancer-free and ready to resume his NFL career. If he has his way, he'll be back sooner, rather than later.

“I will be back out there,” Quessenberry said Monday, according to the team's official website. “That will be a special day. I’ve been through a lot. That’s something that’s been a vision of mine throughout this whole process.”

The 24-year-old hasn't yet been cleared by doctors to return to practice, but he is spending time working out at the Texans' training facility.

“I come in here, I lift, I work out before the team does in the morning,” Quessenberry said. “I go to meetings, go out for practice. I’m not cleared to play yet, but I’m on the other field pushing the sleds, running, and doing those things working on getting my strength and stamina back. Then come in here for meetings in the afternoon and taking care of anything else that needs to be done before I get out of here.”

Quessenberry said he's regained about 20 of the 40 pounds he lost during treatment. The main uncertainty remaining is when he'll be allowed to rejoin the team. His coach is open to the idea that time may be coming soon.

"I would say that this season is a possibility," head coach Bill O'Brien said. "I would not rule it out. I would not rule it out, but we haven't come to that determination yet. He's here every day. He's not allowed to be out there as far as in the practice, but he's out there. You guys see him out there. He's in all the meetings. He can lift weight. I just think it's an unbelievable story. It says a lot about him. It says a lot about our organization, I think, that we've stuck by him.""

(h/t Houston Texans)

Photo credit: Thomas Campbell/USA TODAY Sports