In 4.21 seconds, Texas' Xavier Worthy upped draft stock, became a combine legend | Golden
Fans of the late Johnny “Lam” Jones might have something to say about me calling Xavier Worthy the fastest Texas football player ever, and I guess I have to own it.
But my eyes saw what they saw.
We’re not worthy, but he is.
Worthy's 4.21 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL rookie scouting combine on Saturday broke the annual event's seven-year-old record for fastest 40 ever. Washington wideout John Ross’ 4.22 from 2017 is no longer the gold standard of the most anticipated event of the annual gathering of top draft hopefuls.
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After running a 4.25 on his first effort and saying “What’s up, Mama?” to the camera — presumably to his mother/No. 1 fan Nicky Jones — Worthy celebrated by watching the replay on a phone with supporters, including Texas teammates Jordan Whittington and Adonai Mitchell.
“Give it to them,” said a smiling Whittington, who recorded the historic moment.
“It’s time to take those cleats off,” another player said, hinting that Worthy's work was done and he had nothing left to prove.
Word quickly circulated throughout the stadium that Worthy wasn’t satisfied with a 4.25. He told NFL Network’s Stacey Dales that he wanted the record. We later found out he never planned to do the on-field drills — he had recorded a 41-inch vertical jump earlier in the day — so he went all out on these two runs.
With the buzz growing in the stands, Worthy was whistled for leaving the blocks too early for the second straight time. No worries. Seconds later, he exploded from his stance into history. As he crossed the line, he looked up at the clock and broke into a celebratory sprint to the end of the field, much to the delight of the 16,000 at Lucas Oil Stadium and thousands more who were watching on the NFL Network. The time read 4.22 — a tie with Ross — but better news came when the official time of 4.21 was announced 15 minutes later.
Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy and his teammate Roman Wilson were the first to catch up to him for congratulations before he found his way back to Whittington, who gave him a big hug. Oakland Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce was seen clapping from the stands.
The network did a great job of simulating Ross’ 40 with Worthy’s. It revealed Worthy was a nose faster.
Everyone loves a good sprint, including legends. It was really cool to see Worthy standing there having a conversation with all-time receiving greats Jerry Rice, Michael Irvin and Steve Smith Sr. after the greatest moment at the unofficial start of his professional career. There’s something about witnessing history like that, especially when it’s track. I immediately thought of Longhorn legends Lam, Jamaal Charles, Marquise Goodwin and Eric Metcalf, the Mount Rushmore of Texas star football-track athletes.
“Man, it’s crazy,” Worthy told Dales. “I watched the combine my whole life and to see John Ross run that, I never thought I’d be able to be on this stage and do that.”
People who love speed can’t wait to talk about a moment like the one we witnessed. I texted Metcalf — a longtime track star in the Seattle area after a stellar NFL career — and asked what he ran at the combine back in 1989 before the Cleveland Browns took him with the 13th overall pick.
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“I think 4.32,” came the answer.
“How many times have you rewatched this?” I asked.
“At least 10,” he said. “That’s the track coach in me!”
Worthy’s time speaks for itself, but the competitiveness and drive to want to be even better than 4.25 undoubtedly raised his profile among scouts. He was trending as a mid-second round pick before Saturday and figures to move up. They knew he was fast, but watching him live makes it hit different.
We know speed is the ultimate football temptress for many NFL personnel executives because it’s the one thing that’s hardest to scheme against. The kid reached 24.41 mph, just ahead of Mitchell, who was no slouch at 23.84.
Worthy is a player on the rise. He cut his dropped passes rate in half from his sophomore to junior year — don't forget, he played part of the 2022 with a broken hand — and registered 75 catches for 1,014 yards and five touchdowns his last season. There are concerns about his thin frame — he measured at 5-foot-11, 165 pounds — and his ability to consistently win scrimmage battles against big, physical defensive backs in the pros.
That said, the speed dynamic is undeniable.
Don’t expect him to run at Texas' pro timing day on March 20, by the way.
There is no need for a second mic drop.
Texas bullpen comes up empty in Houston
O-for-Houston: Jared Thomas’ strikeout ended Texas baseball’s weekend of misery in Houston on Sunday afternoon. An 0-3 finish in H-Town isn’t good for business.
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Offense wasn’t the biggest problem — outside of a hideous 20 strikeouts in the opening loss to defending champion LSU — for the Horns, who scored 24 runs in three games. Pitching? Yikes.
One day after blowing a save opportunity in what would have been an epic comeback win over Texas State, the Horns blew an 11-3 fourth-inning lead to Vanderbilt in Sunday's 14-11 finale and left H-Town with more questions than answers, particularly with a bullpen that gave up 14 earned runs in the last two games and 37 hits over the weekend.
The Horns are SEC-bound next season and that 1-6 record in the last seven games against their future conference rivals is troubling, but that's not close to the immediate concern level that coach David Pierce has for the pitching staff entering Tuesday’s home showdown with another SEC team, No. 7 Texas A&M.
That game just took on added importance. Texas (7-4) fell nine spots to No. 24 in D1Baseball's top 25.
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A win over the Aggies would play well for an eventual NCAA tournament résumé — there’s a lot of ball left between now and then — but the Horns need to bounce back for other reasons. In their biggest early-season challenge, they laid a rotten goose egg.
Only a win will make that horrible taste go away.
Somewhat.
It's Caitlin Clark's world
Clark's on her way: Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark scored 35 points and broke Pete Maravich’s all-time NCAA scoring record Sunday, but the thing that should endear her to us has nothing to do with 3-pointers or 30-point games.
On the court, she’s a combination platter of UConn legends Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi because she can thread the passing needle with surgical efficiency while also taking your soul with a bottomless supply of 3-pointers from the logo. Skills aside, it’s her love for the game and respect of those who came before her that warms the heart. She's one of the humblest superstars to come down the pike in a long time, a true game changer on and off the court.
Before Sunday’s game, ESPN's "GameDay" set up a surprise visit with Clark and her childhood idol Maya Moore, and Clark instantly went from the best college basketball player on the planet to that 10-year-old kid who gave Moore a hug after asking for an autograph at a Minnesota Lynx game.
“Oh my God, I’m fan girling so hard,” Clark said after giving Moore a hug. “You’re my favorite player.”
Moore called it a full-circle moment, recounting her younger days being a fan of legends like Cynthia Cooper. Clark was genuinely star-struck and it’s that kind of unbridled love for and respect for a basketball legend that lets us all know the sport’s future is in good hands.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas football star Xavier Worthy ran a NFL combine 40 for the ages
