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Every rookie entering the NFL wishes to make an immediate impact on their team, especially first-round picks who carry loads of expectation when they hear their names called by Commissioner Roger Goodell on Draft night.
After breaking the 40-yard dash record at the NFL Scouting Combine, Xavier Worthy raised his draft stock, entering that zone of being a potential first-round pick.
All offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs were among teams looking for another playmaker to work with Patrick Mahomes on offense. With the 28th overall pick in hand, Worthy was still available, and they wasted no time adding his speed to the roster.
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Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes, #15, and wide receiver Xavier Worthy, #1, talk with reporter Melissa Stark after defeating the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)
While being over the moon that he was selected in the first round, Worthy quickly realized he had a two-time MVP, three-time Super Bowl champion and six-time Pro Bowl quarterback that would be throwing him the football.
One can guess how he feels about that after 13 games and a 12-1 record.
"It’s kinda like a dream come true," Worthy told Fox News Digital ahead of Week 15.
Worthy understood there was no time to geek out over Mahomes being his new signal caller. It was time to get to work, and he quickly realized that all the winning that comes with being a Chief is business at the end of the day.
"You see why they win when you’re here," Worthy explained. "They work hard, they go about their business the right way. They have the slogan called ‘The Formula’ – I feel like Coach Reid has hit [on] that in an interview. They really go about that every day, and I feel like it says a lot about the program."
Of course, Worthy was not guaranteed to slot right in and get working with Mahomes immediately. First, he had to learn the playbook and then develop chemistry with his new quarterback on the practice field and in games.
Well, his first touch of his career, Worthy took an end-around flip from Mahomes to the house for a 21-yard rushing touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, #15, celebrates with wide receiver Xavier Worthy, #1, after the win over the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Denny Medley-Imagn Images)
Since then, Worthy has totaled 38 receptions on 67 targets for 448 yards with four touchdowns through the air, as well as 54 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
He feels the trust a quarterback needs in his receiver is there, leading to some pretty good first-year numbers.
"Pat, he’s more of a guy that’s like, if you show you can go out there and do it, and he trusts you, and you earn his trust, he’s going to trust you throughout the season," Worthy said about Mahomes. "I feel like I’ve earned his trust, and I feel like we’ve got something good rolling."
A prime example of that came in the latest close-game victory for the Chiefs, which required Mahomes to orchestrate another game-winning drive.
On fourth-and-6 with the game on the line, Mahomes was scrambling around the pocket as the Los Angeles Chargers' pass rush was barreling through his offensive line, looking for a receiver to give him a chance to extend the drive.
Mahomes could have looked to Travis Kelce, DeAndre Hopkins or other veteran options if he wished. However, knowing where Worthy was going to be, he released the ball just as he turned around to look at his quarterback. Worthy ran back to the ball, secured it and kept the team's chances of winning alive.
Job well done, even if there was some pain involved.
"I actually dislocated my finger on that same play. I popped it back in right after that – you can see it in the video," Worthy said. "But, it’s huge to be able to have that trust from my quarterback in the NFL. I feel like everybody talks about being that guy in the NFL, so just to be able to build that trust and stack days with your quarterback is huge."
The stacked wins have resulted in what every rookie wants: playoff football.
Worthy gets that as the Chiefs secured the AFC West title for the ninth straight season after beating the Chargers, and the rookie is excited to continue developing that relationship with Mahomes to hopefully help their case for a third straight Super Bowl victory.
IMPACTING YOUTH IN KC WITH DICKS
While Worthy has the pleasure of gracing a field with Mahomes, Kelce and so many other Chiefs legends, he also gets to impact the Kansas City community just like them, too.
Xavier Worthy piles up shopping cart with footballs at DICK'S Sporting Goods. (DICK'S Sporting Goods)
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That is exactly what happened with this year's DICK’S Holiday Shopping Sprint, where two lucky winners – Tanisha and her 8-year-old son, AJ, as well as Molly from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City – curated a $2,500 holiday wish list that Worthy collected with his record-breaking speed and brought to them personally.
"It was fun," he said of the experience. "It was always something I wanted to do just to give back to the community where I’m at, and it was just fun to see the reactions on the kids’ faces. It brightened my day."
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