Chiefs' Xavier Worthy Proved Everyone Wrong

A standout college athlete. A skinny wide receiver with elite athleticism and deep threat ability goes out and runs the fastest 40-yard dash in NFL history. This describes Chiefs' rookie Xavier Worthy, but we've heard this story before.

A speedy receiver had just declared for the 2017 NFL Draft after a career year. Spending 3 years in Washington, John Ross had been making a name for himself. In the NFL Scouting Combine, Ross recorded the fastest ever 40-yard dash time in league history at 4.22 seconds. This was enough to convince the Cincinnati Bengals to select him with the 9th overall pick. Unfortunately, his athleticism couldn't quite translate to the professional level, as he was cut from the team just 3 years after.

7 years later, we saw the same story begin to unfold. Xavier Worthy spent 3 seasons with the Texas Longhorns, only breaking the 1000-yard mark once. He was never the top dog like Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers were, but he was still an elite prospect.

Going into that year's Combine, there were concerns from numerous scouts about his frame and weight: coming in at 5'11 and weighing only 165 pounds. None of that seemed to matter when he shattered Ross' record, notching a new-highest 4.21 seconds in the 40.

One team in particular had their eyes on him, that was the Kansas City Chiefs. Having just lost their star receiver Tyreek Hill to Miami, the Chiefs were dead-set on finding Patrick Mahomes a new deep threat target. Trading up with their division rivals, KC snagged Worthy at 28 and didn't look back. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills selected receiver Keon Coleman just 4 picks later.

Over the course of this season, Worthy has exceeded all expectations. In his first game alone he recorded 2 touchdowns in an opening night win for the Chiefs. While he had his moments in the regular season, Worthy really came into his own during the Playoffs. With their WR1 Rashee Rice out indefinitely, Worthy took it upon himself to lead the team on the offensive side of the ball.

In the AFC Championship game, Worthy made it clear he was playing with a chip on his shoulder, and put up 85 yards and a score against the very team that traded their pick away in the first place. Going into the Super Bowl, he still felt like he had something to prove.

The biggest game of the year, the brightest lights, the loudest fans, it didn't matter. Worthy shined. Tallying 157 yards and 2 touchdowns, Worthy had his best game by far. Although they didn't quite reach the top, Worthy did.

There were many comparisons made between Worthy and Ross before the draft. They doubted his size, his route-running, his drive. He proved everyone wrong. Worthy is going to be the leader of this receiving room for years to come, and none of us had any idea.

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