One day you’ll be a college wide receiver, hoping for a chance to play for a good NFL team. The next minute you’re a potential No. 1 wide receiver for the league’s back-to-back champions: the Kansas City Chiefs.
After being selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft last weekend, former Texas wideout Xavier Worthy is adjusting to the new reality of his life.
“It was fun,” he told reporters on Saturday, reflecting on his first week as a member of the Chiefs. “(I’ve) learned the new offense and seen how they run things – and just get the flow of things.”
One thing is the same: In Kansas City, he will continue to wear the number he wore for three years with the Longhorns.
“In high school, I wore No. 1 my freshman year,” Worthy explains. “(That) was a bit like when I came on stage. So number 1 has basically just been my number after that; I just wanted to take him everywhere.”
While Worthy expressed a lot of confidence in his ability to be a top performer at the next level of his sport, he also acknowledges that he is still just a novice with dues to pay. The technical staff made that clear to him
“Their expectation of me was that I would be willing to work,” he revealed. “I feel like whatever they want me to do – whatever I have to do – I’m going to do it, just to get on the field.”
That starts with getting to know his new teammates, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“I talked to him – connected with him a little bit,” Worthy said. “He was excited about me coming to camp.”
Worthy already has the feeling that Mahomes is very happy to have him among his teammates.
“It’s amazing to have that quarterback that you want,” he noted. “That means they will obviously try to find a way to get you the ball and make you part of the attack.”
And make no mistake: Worthy is happy with where he ended up.
“I feel like everyone would want to play for Pat,” he stated, “how great a quarterback he is and how personable he is.”
In the meantime, there are still plenty of things to do to fully get used to Chiefs Kingdom. Worthy has already started doing it: having a barbecue in Kansas City.
“I tried Q39,” he said with a smile. “It was firework!”