Josh Paschal beat cancer in college. So when he went last month for his annual check-up and the doctors found a small mass in his shoulder, "it was definitely challenging," Paschal said, "just because, of course, you know what you went through before."
"It was nothing cancerous, thankfully," Paschal said Wednesday. "Praise God for that. I was hoping just to be out for a week, but it wasn't something you could really bounce back from in a week, so it just took two. I'm thankful to be back now, to be able to help this team."
The Lions' defensive end missed two games after having the mass removed and is ready to return Sunday night against the Texans. He said it was "a big weight lifted off my shoulders" when he got the results that the cancer hadn't returned. Paschal overcame melanoma, a type of skin cancer, in 2018 when he was a sophomore at Kentucky.
The news at his check-in obviously came as a shock. Paschal, 24, said that when "something like that gets thrown (at you) out of left field, it just matters how you respond."
"I just wanted to put my head down, get to work and stay positive throughout the whole thing," he said. "Honestly, I just thank the Lord I was able to have Henry Ford, as far as the hospital, and the staff here with the Lions, just taking care of me and making sure I have the best care possible."
After taking an additional week to build back his strength to "make sure I can protect myself" on the field, Paschal said he's fully confident he can "go out there and perform to the best of my abilities." The Lions are counting on him to spark their pass rush on the edge opposite the newly-acquired Za'Darius Smith.
Paschal was hungry to step up three weeks ago when Detroit's defense lost Aidan Hutchinson. He promptly notched his first sack of the season in the team's win over the Vikings. To find out shortly thereafter that his momentum would be stalled "was definitely frustrating," he said, "especially with past injuries and stuff." A second-round pick in 2022, Paschal has lost 14 games to various ailments over his first three seasons.
"And this wasn't something I could prevent, of course with it not being a physical, football-type injury," he said. "It was difficult, but I'm glad to be back now and I'm ready to get after it this week in practice and set myself up for a big game on Sunday."
And how hungry is he now?
"I can't even put it into words," he said with a smile. "I'm just ready to get back after it. It's a big game to come back to, Sunday Night Football."