In his first season in the NFL, Kansas City Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy can make history for his alma mater, the Texas Longhorns. He’ll be playing in his first Super Bowl Sunday when the Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles in pursuit of the NFL’s first-ever three-peat.
Xavier is “Worthy” of Attention
When Worthy stepped into the starting blocks during the 2024 Scouting Combine, few understood what was about to occur. The wide receiver ran his way to a first-round pick after recording a 4.21 forty-yard dash.
Now, he is just 60 minutes away from winning a Super Bowl ring in just his rookie season. With Austin, Tex., firmly in the rearview mirror, the Chiefs rookie can now look back and bring a little more luster to the Texas faithful. With a big performance, he could etch his name into Longhorn lore.
Despite producing two Heisman winners and 48 first-round picks, Texas’s skill players on offense and defense have only enjoyed mild success in the biggest game.
In fact, Texas ranks 83rd in collegiate Super Bowl production. There have been 59 years of Super Bowls, and still, 82 schools stand ahead of “UT.”
That number seems unbelievable, but looking deeper, schools like Michigan (Tom Brady), Louisiana Tech (Terry Bradshaw), Cincinnati (Travis Kelce), and Mississippi Valley State (Jerry Rice) come to mind.
Worthy can bring the Longhorns back into respectable standing in this statistic with even just a solid performance.
Additionally, funny enough, if Worthy completes one pass, regardless of distance, he’ll become the first Longhorns player to ever complete a pass in the Super Bowl.
For a state where high school football is taken as seriously as it is, its a huge surprise that no Texas quarterback has ever started in a Super Bowl. Meanwhile, across the state, Texas Tech alum, Patrick Mahomes seeks his third consecutive title.
Non-traditional schools like Northern Iowa (Kurt Warner), Morehead State (Phil Simms), and the University of Delaware (Joe Flacco) not only claim a Super Bowl quarterback but winners, as well.
Off the top of your head, name the last Texas player to record any statistic in the Super Bowl. That same player holds the Texas record for most rushing yards and carries in the “Big Game” with 26 and four, respectively.
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Yes, Fozzy Whitaker, former Carolina Panthers running back, toted the rock four times for 26 yards in the loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.
Now, Worthy did carry the ball 20 times in 2024 for three touchdowns. If he manages to touch endzone paint, he’ll become the first Texas alum to score an offensive touchdown.
Kansas City head coach Andy Reid has been known to dial a couple of Worthy-centric plays to keep the Eagles honest.
Worthy could enjoy a modest game and still write his name into the record books. With a phenomenal one, he could be a postseason Texas legend. Back in 1969, Jets wide receiver George Sauer caught eight passes for 133 yards as New York shocked the world.
With 134 yards, Worthy would eclipse Sauer as a Longhorn alum and supplant him as the 16th-best receiving performance in a Super Bowl.
With 4.21 speed and a quarterback who likes to throw the ball down the field, this mark looks more reasonable than ever.
As for the men expected to cover Worthy, veteran Eagles DB Darius Slay enjoyed a solid season, allowing just a 54.7% completion rate. Fellow DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson did not. The latter surrendered eight touchdown passes this season.
That could bode well for Worthy. With minimal effort, he could become a school record holder.
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