Xavier Worthy - Chiefin'

[MuellerHorn 4152]

FCB on Worthy, his injury, and Sark's POV:

Spoiler

The Insider: Football nuggets galore as Texas spring football gets going

 

(Photo: © Taylor Estes, Horns247, 247Sports)

Yes, Steve Sarkisian’s response Monday was a little snippy on why he didn’t release information sooner about Xavier Worthy playing the second half of last season with “a broken hand.”

“Because I don’t have to tell you,” Sarkisian said. “And our opponents would have known, too. So we have a lot of injuries that can occur on our team that may not keep a player out that we don’t disclose to protect the player and to protect the program.”

But the bottom line is Sarkisian is all in on Worthy’s work ethic, commitment and toughness.

“Xavier is a great example of what it looks like to go to work every day and how to practice,” Sarkisian said. “We don’t have a guy who works harder - that’s the first guy on the field and the last guy off.”

In talking about Worthy’s injury - and the fact he’s recovered from it - Sarkisian basically said he believes Worthy is ready for a big year:

“Well, I think anytime you're a receiver, and you're playing with a broken hand, that's a pretty important aspect of your game,” Sarkisian said. “And that guy never wanted to sit out or not play. He came to work. He fought through it. There were days in practice where we purposely didn't throw him balls just to take some of the pressure off of it. But I think we're going to see a version of Xavier Worthy, that's going to be dramatically different now that he's healthy.”

 

[Droopy 2623]

“Well, I think anytime you're a receiver, and you're playing with a broken hand, that's a pretty important aspect of your game,” Sarkisian said. “And that guy never wanted to sit out or not play. He came to work. He fought through it. There were days in practice where we purposely didn't throw him balls just to take some of the pressure off of it. But I think we're going to see a version of Xavier Worthy, that's going to be dramatically different now that he's healthy.”

 

I guess "dramatically different" means he's going to catch the ball. Cool. That's what we need in our WR group...catching.

[BurntOrange&White 39271]

1 hour ago, runthebone said:

I guess your hand can be pretty much broken, just like you can be "essentially pregnant."

Basically probably 

[Sawbonz 27301]

1 hour ago, Droopy said:

“Well, I think anytime you're a receiver, and you're playing with a broken hand, that's a pretty important aspect of your game,” Sarkisian said. “And that guy never wanted to sit out or not play. He came to work. He fought through it. There were days in practice where we purposely didn't throw him balls just to take some of the pressure off of it. But I think we're going to see a version of Xavier Worthy, that's going to be dramatically different now that he's healthy.”

 

I guess "dramatically different" means he's going to catch the ball. Cool. That's what we need in our WR group...catching.

Assuming his eyes can get him to the correct spot for his hands to do their job

[Zeus 5924]

39 minutes ago, Sawbonz said:

Assuming his eyes can get him to the correct spot for his hands to do their job

Zero (0) drops this season we should change the thread title!

[williemackgarza 1826]

Sorry for the jargon. It was really more of a reply to Sawbonz (who I expected to speak mumbo jumbo well enough to get my drift). Bottom line it is unusual, especially in today's medicolegal environment, for a doc to clear someone to play receiver with a broken hand.

[LTtxfan 48823]

Damn, forgot about this thread title change 

 

The Houston game may be more fun now  🤘

 

[TrashMaster G 17335]

1 hour ago, LTtxfan said:

Damn, forgot about this thread title change 

 

The Houston game may be more fun now  🤘

 

Oklahoma to USC to Houston?

Really moving up in the world, huh?

[ousux 5581]

Damn, forgot about this thread title change 

 
The Houston game may be more fun now 
 

I saw some slapdick sports writer predict we lose 2 games and coug high is one of them, TCU the other iirc.

Of course if he's right that means we beat Bama in gumpville and toss blowU aside again, but I'm conflicted.

[Eggo 3974]

4 minutes ago, ousux said:

I saw some slapdick sports writer predict we lose 2 games and coug high is one of them, TCU the other iirc.

Of course if he's right that means we beat Bama in gumpville and toss blowU aside again, but I'm conflicted.

What's your conflict? We shouldn't wish to lose any of those games, no matter the tradeoff. 

[TrashMaster G 17335]

12 hours ago, ousux said:

I saw some slapdick sports writer predict we lose 2 games and coug high is one of them, TCU the other iirc.

Of course if he's right that means we beat Bama in gumpville and toss blowU aside again, but I'm conflicted.

I saw that same prediction. It was very confusing. 

[Zeus 5924]

2 hours ago, TrashMaster G said:

I saw that same prediction. It was very confusing. 

Almost like most sports writers are complete fucking morons that should be ignored.

Fuck cougar high they will go perfect with Baylor after we bounce.

[Longboard Horn 40006]

22 hours ago, ousux said:

I saw some slapdick sports writer predict we lose 2 games and coug high is one of them, TCU the other iirc.

Of course if he's right that means we beat Bama in gumpville and toss blowU aside again, but I'm conflicted.

There no reason or excuse why we shouldn't go into the 3rd ward and dump truck cougar high. I'll be at that game to see get one over on Dana Holgorsen one last time. 

[Zeus 5924]

2 hours ago, Longboard Horn said:

There no reason or excuse why we shouldn't go into the 3rd ward and dump truck cougar high. I'll be at that game to see get one over on Dana Holgorsen one last time. 

Hell yeah I've got section 116 in the front row about to go wild

[victory88 5651]

Alright…. Worthy made me want to pull my hair out last season at times bc the guy had such a special freshman season.  Regardless, one of the most talented WRs to come through Texas.  I will not be surprised when he starts breaking into Texas records this season.  Elite routes, elite speed, plays tough.   Hoping the hand is healed and Chris Jackson gets the best out of him because he has an opportunity to have a big season with Mitchell next to him.  At his best, he’s a first round talent.

 

 

Edited July 2, 2023 by victory88

[LTtxfan 48823]

XAVIER WORTHY  🤘

Josh Pate On Dark Horse Heisman Contenders (Late Kick Cut)

[markstanco 12464]

Alright…. Worthy made me want to pull my hair out last season at times bc the guy had such a special freshman season.  Regardless, one of the most talented WRs to come through Texas.  I will not be surprised when he starts breaking into Texas records this season.  Elite routes, elite speed, plays tough.   Hoping the hand is healed and Chris Jackson gets the best out of him because he has an opportunity to have a big season with Mitchell next to him.  At his best, he’s a first round talent.
 
 

We are pumping sunshine!!!!

[cochamps 1875]

On 7/1/2023 at 7:44 PM, victory88 said:

Alright…. Worthy made me want to pull my hair out last season at times bc the guy had such a special freshman season.  Regardless, one of the most talented WRs to come through Texas.  I will not be surprised when he starts breaking into Texas records this season.  Elite routes, elite speed, plays tough.   Hoping the hand is healed and Chris Jackson gets the best out of him because he has an opportunity to have a big season with Mitchell next to him.  At his best, he’s a first round talent.

 

 

Don't sleep on Neyor!

[LTtxfan 48823]

Xavier Worthy Joins The Horn at Big 12 Media Days

[LTtxfan 48823]

Xavier Worthy led the Longhorns in catches, receiving yards, and touchdown receptions last season, yet in some respects 2022 was a disappointment.

A broken hand hampered his campaign, making his responsibilities as a pass-catcher inordinately difficult. He went without a touchdown in the last four games of the year, a stretch that ended with several drops versus Washington in the Alamo Bowl that altered the course of the contest. He was charged with five drops in those four games according to PFF, including three versus the Huskies. Overall, he had a drop rate of over 10 percent. That figure was over double his 2021 mark of 4.6 percent.

His struggles weren’t limited to catching the football. Worthy oftentimes couldn’t locate the ball when Quinn Ewers tried to sail it to him downfield. All the responsibility does not fall on Worthy alone, but there were times when the play failing was more on him than anyone else.

“It’s definitely tough when you’re playing receiver and you have issues with your hands,” Ewers said Wednesday. “It was unfortunate with the broken hand, but I couldn’t be more excited for the future of him.”

Worthy took some time to recoup after 2022. He admitted last week during Big 12 Media Days he needed to make progress mentally, emotionally, and physically. Entering 2023, Worthy is ready to prove he’s more like the 2021 standout than the 2022 version of himself, and lead others to a higher level of play.

“I feel like we just go in every day with something to prove,” Worthy said Wednesday. “We left a lot on the table last year, and I feel like we just have a chip on our shoulder to go prove everybody wrong.”

He has a new number, No. 1, that he first wore in the bowl game as a throwback to his high school days. He also has the support of his teammates, who are excited to see what “X” can do in his third season.

”Really electrifying player,” fellow wideout Jordan Whittington said. “Really dominant player. He’s stepped up more in leadership, and it’s going to be a really good year for him.”

In addition to making himself better, Worthy knows there are others in the group for him to lead. Whittington and Georgia transfer AD Mitchell may not need much tutelage, but other younger members of the room might. Worthy mentioned he’s taken Johntay Cook under his wing in an attempt to get the five-star freshman ready for action.

“I feel like I’ve grown leadership-wise,” Worthy said. “They want me to be this leader, and I just had to be that and make big plays.”

Big plays will be key in Worthy’s success. Last season on throws of 20 yards downfield or further, Worthy was targeted 44 times. He caught nine passes for 278 yards, though four of his nine touchdowns were via the deep threat.

That’s an aspect of the game he knew needs improvement, and one he believes he’s made better ahead of the 2023 season.

“(Steve Sarkisian) told me I need to make big plays and communicate with my teammates,” Worthy said. “That’s what I’m going to do.”

Sarkisian described Worthy at Big 12 Media Days as an explosive playmaker who can score at any moment with his acceleration and separation.

Worthy will be asked to be that explosive playmaker for the Longhorns in 2023, and lead a position group considered one of the best in the country.

If he’s able to do it, he’ll put an up-and-down 2022 in the past with a memorable 2023.

[LTtxfan 48823]

 

Texas junior WR Xavier Worthy was selected to the watch list for the award honoring college football’s most versatile player.

 

https://texassports.com/news/2023/8/3/football-worthy-named-to-paul-hornung-award-watch-list.aspx

[LTtxfan 48823]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Texas Football junior wide receiver Xavier Worthy has been added to the Biletnikoff Award watch list, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. announced on Monday. It marked the second consecutive year in which Worthy was named to the preseason watch list for the award presented annually to college football's most outstanding FBS receiver.

Worthy is a third-year wide receiver who has played in and started 25 games. The Fresno, Calif. native has 122 career receptions for 1,741 yards and 21 touchdowns. His 21 career touchdown receptions rank third all-time in Texas history and his 122 career receptions are the 14th-most ever for a Longhorn. His 21 career touchdown receptions lead all returning Power 5 players and rank second among FBS receivers. Last season, he was a second-team All-Big 12 selection by the league's coaches and the Associated Press after leading the conference and ranking 19th in the nation with nine touchdown receptions, while tying for fourth in the Big 12 receptions (60), ranking fifth receiving yards (760), and seventh in receiving yards per game (58.5) and receptions per game (4.6). Worthy also served as the punt returner for Texas in 2022, averaging 9.7 yards per return.

The Biletnikoff Award annually recognizes the college football season's outstanding FBS receiver. Any player, regardless of position (wide receiver, tight end, slot back, and running back) who catches a pass is eligible for the award. As such, the Biletnikoff Award recognizes college football's outstanding receiver, not merely college football's outstanding wide receiver.

The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc., will announce the 10 Biletnikoff Award semifinalists on Nov. 20, 2023, following the vote by the distinguished members of the Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee. Likewise, the three finalists will be declared, following another vote, on Nov. 28, 2023. For complete details and updates on the Biletnikoff Award candidates, visit BiletnikoffAward.com. The Biletnikoff Award Winner will be announced at The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 7, 2023.

 

 

[LTtxfan 48823]

College Football's Top 100 Players for 2023

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38122924/top-100-players-caleb-williams-maye-bowers-2023

[sidis 9686]

"But I think we're going to see a version of [ANY PLAYER WHO HAD SHITTY YEAR], that's going to be dramatically different now that he's healthy.”

you don't even have to go outside in the 108 degree heat to know it's fucking august...

[LTtxfan 48823]

 

[markstanco 12464]

The WR and TE positions are going to make opposing DCs lose sleep. 

[Tex Long 4308]

16 hours ago, markstanco said:

The WR and TE positions are going to make opposing DCs lose sleep. 

Banks to TE?

[markstanco 12464]

^^That would be a fun jumbo package on the goal and let the big guy catch a TD or 2. 

[pacman 7282]

https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2024/insider/story/_/id/38233399/2024-nfl-mock-draft-preseason-round-1-predictions-32-picks

 

Quote

18. Dolphins

Xavier Worthy

The Dolphins don't have many glaring holes, so how about a vertical threat in the slot who has rumored 4.3 speed to pair with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle? The Dolphins could win a track meet with that group, and Worthy also provides quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with another outstanding after-the-catch playmaker. He has a slight frame at 6-1 and 172 pounds, but when the ball is in his hands, he makes defenses pay. Worthy has combined for 21 touchdowns in two years at Texas, and despite some drop issues late last season, he has amassed over 1,600 yards in those two years without consistent quarterback play.

An area scout from a team in the AFC who specializes in the Big 12 said he believes Worthy could be this year's Jahan Dotson -- a lean wideout with elite speed who rises up boards quickly.

 

[LTtxfan 48823]

1 DAY TILL KICKOFF...   XAVIER WORTHY 🤘

 

 

 

[animaltobacco11 107]

I, for one, am looking forward to having to change the name of this thread because of how awesome he's going to be this year.

[Coach pop a bitch 5459]

7 rec 90 yards

How this wasn't a catch is beyond me.

 

[Enemy07 281]

On 9/1/2023 at 3:27 PM, animaltobacco11 said:

I, for one, am looking forward to having to change the name of this thread because of how awesome he's going to be this year.

Dam straight. People finally realizing it is a QB problem. We easily saw this last year.

[AUS-97HORN 11644]

3 minutes ago, Enemy07 said:

Dam straight. People finally realizing it is a QB problem. We easily saw this last year.

its not ENTIRELY a QB problem.   

Worthy still cant seem to track a long ball, and he got that illegal touch penalty because he got lazy and lollygagged OOB when he didnt need to.   

That ball would have been a first down around the 15.

but, conversly he made a spectacular catch that,  as pointed out above the fucking review refs overturned.

At no point during that review was there a single frame that showed the ball touching the ground.  Now, I agree that it LOOKED like it did, but there was no difinitive proof and that was called a catch.   Yet the review refs took it upon themselves to ignore the wording of their job and overturn a call that had no proof it should be overturned. 

[GTJ1982 378]

its not ENTIRELY a QB problem.   
Worthy still cant seem to track a long ball, and he got that illegal touch penalty because he got lazy and lollygagged OOB when he didnt need to.   
That ball would have been a first down around the 15.
but, conversly he made a spectacular catch that,  as pointed out above the fucking review refs overturned.
At no point during that review was there a single frame that showed the ball touching the ground.  Now, I agree that it LOOKED like it did, but there was no difinitive proof and that was called a catch.   Yet the review refs took it upon themselves to ignore the wording of their job and overturn a call that had no proof it should be overturned. 

He tracked the two that Quinn threw to him pretty well catching one out of bounds and almost coming up the other through the defender. Both bad balls by Quinn.

[Davis Lane 5538]

15 hours ago, Coach pop a bitch said:

7 rec 90 yards

How this wasn't a catch is beyond me.

 

Wait, that was ruled incomplete?

How did I miss that?

[BurntOrange&White 39271]

15 hours ago, Coach pop a bitch said:

7 rec 90 yards

How this wasn't a catch is beyond me.

 

Very strange....hand was under the ball when he rolled and it was in his legs never touching. 

[cam4mav 770]

X got fucked by that incomplete call, and one PI on the deep ball that was too obvious to not call, just let him barrel into him without turning a head around, early contact, no call. dumb

 

He's looking much better this year IMO. excited to see him vs proper competition next week!

[LTtxfan 48823]

 

[LTtxfan 48823]

 

[4th and 5 4909]

Xavier Worthy’s untold story: From Michigan to Texas stardom to his best version yet

 

Max Olson

Sep 8, 2023

6

Xavier Worthy is standing outside of his comfort zone.

He’s on the turf at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, but he has to spend the day talking, not playing. It’s Big 12 media day. If he wants to be a team leader and in the mix for awards, he has to start doing these things. So here he is, standing in a black Texas polo, trying to abide and provide. He says his coach, Steve Sarkisian, reminded him of this: Not a lot of people know about you. There’s a reason for that.

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“I feel like I’m kind of a closed-off person,” Worthy said. “I never really, like, open myself up.”

One of the best wide receivers in college football has mostly kept to himself during his rise. Worthy will do press conferences when asked but tends to keep his answers short. Coaches say that’s just how X is: quiet, humble, focused. His mother, Nicky Jones, prefers to say he’s reserved. But he’s working on that. This year, he’s trying to become a better version of himself.

“I feel like y’all haven’t seen the best of me yet,” Worthy said.

We’ve seen the 6-foot-1, 172-pound wideout deliver big plays. We’re going to see plenty of him on Saturday night when his No. 11 Longhorns face No. 3 Alabama. But most don’t really know what he’s gone through in his first two years of college, nor is he inclined to share.

Worthy doesn’t talk about why he signed with Michigan in 2020, his brief stint in Ann Arbor and why that plan fell apart. He hasn’t opened up much about playing six games with a broken hand last season and how frustrating that became. The highs, the lows and the pressure of being Texas’ No. 1 receiver since his first college game — it’s hard for outsiders to understand.

But as he enters a defining junior season for himself and Texas, his head coach can tell he’s in a much better place today.

“He’s smiling so much more,” Sarkisian said. “You can almost feel like there’s a weight lifted off his shoulders. He’s enjoying playing the game.”

---

In fifth grade, Worthy tried cross country. Growing up in Fresno, Calif., he played all the other sports, too. When he signed up for this one, he didn’t realize how much running was required. At the district championship meet, he finished second.

“He came home with his little medal,” Jones said, “and he was pissed off.”

Worthy vowed that he’d win next time. He kept running. Mom got him better shoes. One year later, the sixth-grader brought home a first-place medal. His mother still treasures a photo of him proudly holding it up.

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“That’s Xavier,” she said. “His expectations for himself are so high. He’s extremely confident and he works hard to get it. He had to come in first because he put his mind to it.

“And once he did that? Yeah, no more cross country.”

 

(Courtesy of Nicky Jones)

Worthy became a top-100 recruit at Fresno Central East High School, but it didn’t happen right away. Though his blazing speed was no secret after a 10.55 PR in the 100 meters as a sophomore, Worthy caught 10 passes that year. His coaches pushed him, but what he responded to was competition. Jeremiah Hunter, their 1,500-yard receiver who now plays for Cal, was a year older, bigger and worked harder. Entering his junior season, Worthy didn’t have to match Hunter’s work ethic. He needed to exceed it.

“It was a great, healthy competition we had with those guys,” Central East coach Kyle Biggs said, “and that was the year we won state.”

Worthy’s lone scholarship offer before his junior year was San Jose State. The Pac-12 offers rolled in during that 15-0 season and CIF title in 2019. After 55 catches for 992 yards and 16 scores, the word was out. All of the schools in Worthy’s top six — Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Michigan and Oregon — were far from home. He told his mother he was seeking new experiences.

“I told her I wanted to see the rest of the world and see what’s going on,” he said. “I kinda wanted to sprout and just be a man.”

Unfortunately, as his recruiting process heated up, a pandemic was going on. Worthy couldn’t take official visits and had to build relationships over video chats. He became a big believer in Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis and his “Speed in Space” mantra, and that connection persuaded him to commit to Michigan in July 2020.

Sarkisian, Alabama’s offensive coordinator at the time, never backed off. Worthy and Jones took a November trip to Alabama to attend an Iron Bowl win over Auburn and do a self-guided campus tour, sparking rumors that a flip was incoming. But Worthy stuck with Michigan and signed in December. Coach Jim Harbaugh called him “one of the top players in the country.”

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“I felt like that was where home was at,” Worthy said.

When he first picked Michigan, Worthy planned to be an early enrollee. His school district didn’t allow seniors to graduate early. Jones got creative. She got him enrolled in Apex Learning Virtual School, an online program, for the fall of 2020. It wasn’t easy to get that plan lined up without guidance counselors, but Jones ensured his class schedule met all graduation and NCAA initial eligibility requirements.

In early January 2021, two weeks before Worthy would move to Ann Arbor with J.J. McCarthy, Donovan Edwards and the Wolverines’ freshman enrollees, a problem emerged. Michigan has strict admissions standards for midyear enrollees, one former staffer said, and wasn’t able to get Worthy admitted into school. He was told that based on his academic profile, it would be better to enroll in June for U-M’s summer bridge program. His mother was stunned.

“For me, that didn’t fly,” she said. “I turned in all of his academic paperwork and applications in September. As far as I had been told, up until two weeks before, he was on track to enroll early. There was nothing missing, nothing short, they’d waived the SATs. It didn’t make sense. Something wasn’t right. What’s the problem and why am I finding out about this now?”

Worthy still wanted to honor his commitment. He moved to Ann Arbor and got an apartment. When Michigan posted a video of midyear move-in day on Jan. 16, Worthy was missing. Two days later, he announced on Twitter that “to end all the drama and speculations I am not enrolling early.” But he was in town. Since he wasn’t enrolled, he wasn’t allowed to work out in the football facility. All he could do was join Zoom meetings. After a strange month of trying to make it work, he moved back home.

“Michigan messed that up,” Jones said. “The trust wasn’t there. For us, trust is so big in everything. We just never felt like we were getting the truth about what happened. It was just a lot of, ‘We’re sorry.’”

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The 17-year-old returned to Fresno to rethink his future. It didn’t make him feel any better that Central East was playing a five-game spring season and he couldn’t participate. During a loss to rival Buchanan, Biggs looked to Worthy on the sideline and told him, “Sure could use you right now.”

---

 

Jones and Worthy in Dallas before a Texas-Oklahoma game. (Courtesy of Nicky Jones)

If he wasn’t going to Michigan, Worthy knew where he needed to be.

“I was going wherever Sark went,” he said.

Sarkisian had landed the Texas job two weeks after signing day. Biggs has known him since 2010 and always believed he was trustworthy.

“I kind of hoped X was going to choose Alabama to be with Sark,” Biggs said. “So this whole thing was like, all right, well, maybe this wasn’t supposed to happen. We can get you teamed up and get you where you’re wanted, where people can take advantage of your ability.”

Worthy officially asked to be released from his National Letter of Intent in April and committed to the Longhorns during their spring game. He’d never been to Austin before and didn’t consider anywhere else. It felt like fate, and the fit was obvious after watching Sarkisian’s offense turn DeVonta Smith into a Heisman Trophy winner. He couldn’t wait to get started.

“It was really exciting,” Worthy said. “I was so young and I was coming into something that’s new, but Sark was new, too. I felt like I had a fresh start and a clean slate.”

He hadn’t played in a game in a year and a half. He didn’t work with trainers. During the pandemic, Worthy ordered a set of ladders and cones, laid them out in the backyard, studied YouTube videos and tore up the yard with his cleats. Mom asked whether he needed to work out in a helmet and pads. He assured her he’d be fine.

At Texas, Worthy was a starter from Day 1. He scored three touchdowns in his first Big 12 game. But it was the epic Red River Rivalry game in 2021 that put him on the national radar. First play of the game? A screen on the perimeter. Worthy stiff-armed a Sooner and raced down the sideline for a 75-yard score.

 

Midway through the fourth quarter, Worthy fumbled a kickoff return. Oklahoma scored right away to pull ahead 48-41. Worthy responded with a 48-yard reception, then a leaping 31-yard touchdown to tie it up in the final minutes. Mom tried to hold back the tears while watching him put up 261 receiving yards. For a freshman, it was an experience like no other.

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“Everybody in the locker room expressed what kind of game that was. To me, I’m not from Texas. I’m from California. So I wasn’t really too nervous,” he said. “It’s basically like another game for me. And I go off in that game and everybody was chanting, ‘X! X! X! I’m like, oh shoot, that’s crazy.”

Caleb Williams, Oklahoma’s freshman quarterback, was the one who got the glory for a comeback victory. But another star was born that day. Worthy went on to have a Freshman All-America season and pick up first-team All-Big 12 and Offensive Freshman of the Year honors after leading his team with 981 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. The Longhorns lost five of their last six after that thriller in the Cotton Bowl, but Sarkisian had a difference maker he could build around.

“I just want to build off that,” Worthy said after the season, “and go win a Big 12 championship.”

---

Texas was better in 2022. Worthy was not. What went wrong?

Sarkisian revealed this spring that Worthy played with a broken hand for the second half of the season. When asked to explain how he did it, Worthy shrugs.

“Shoot, I truly couldn’t tell you,” he said.

He won’t say which hand was broken. Won’t say when or how he broke it. Did it happen in a game? “I don’t remember.” The truth is he didn’t initially know it was broken. He was under the impression it was a bone bruise, one that made pass catching a painful experience.

“I really couldn’t squeeze nothing,” Worthy said. “You let it hit your hands and you’ve got to try to hold onto it. I used to get taped before every game. Extra tape. A lot of tape.”

You could see tape poking out of Worthy’s right glove when Texas played Kansas State on Nov. 5. His hand began bothering him during the Longhorns’ previous game, a 41-34 road loss at Oklahoma State. Quarterback Quinn Ewersthrew his way 14 times. Worthy had three catches. Wind, inaccuracy and inexperience all contributed to that, but their connection wasn’t quite right that afternoon.

Worthy refused to sit out and tried to tough it out. He says his teammates needed him and he was playing for them. Some days in practice, Sarkisian said, they wouldn’t throw him the ball in an attempt to manage the injury. They managed to keep it a secret, too.

“I feel like everything isn’t everybody’s business,” Worthy said.

“That’s X, man,” Biggs said. “He’s not gonna tell you s—.”

When asked why he never disclosed the injury last season, Sarkisian offered a stern reply: “Because I don’t have to tell you.” Ewers, the Longhorns’ young starter, said they tried to keep that information “inside the four walls” of the football facility and praised Worthy’s selflessness.

“I think he handled it as best as he could,” Ewers said.

The trade-off for that privacy: If fans don’t know, they don’t get it. Worthy had four catches for 32 yards and two drops on 12 targets in a loss to No. 4 TCU. He had three more drops in the Alamo Bowl loss to No. 12 Washington. Worthy finished with 60 catches for 760 yards and nine scores on 113 targets. There were 53 receivers in the FBS last season who saw 100-plus targets, according to TruMedia. Worthy catching 53 percent of his ranked 49th among them.

One troubling development: Texas couldn’t hit the long ball. Ewers finished with 274 passing yards on throws of more than 20 yards last season, which ranked 120th out of 131 FBS teams. Worthy ran 93 go routes, was targeted 24 times and had just one catch, a 46-yarder against Alabama. Those growing pains combined with rising expectations and an injury that wasn’t improving made for a difficult year.

“I knew something was wrong with him,” Biggs said. “He didn’t have the same demeanor on the sideline and in games, that killer instinct. So to find out he was playing with a broken hand and not saying anything didn’t surprise me. Because he’s not going to make excuses. He’s not going to complain.

“When X plays, he’s smiling and he’s having fun. I didn’t see that last year.”

After the bowl game, Worthy was re-evaluated and learned he’d played with a broken right hand. He wore a cast for eight weeks. Fortunately, it healed without requiring surgery. He put a tennis ball machine in his apartment and built up his strength with one-handed catches. He feels fully healthy now and is glad all that’s in the past. But he kept another part of that struggle to himself.

“The mental aspect was kind of hard,” Worthy said. “It’s hard not to read everything. Social media is a big thing in the world. It was just hard. But now I’m past it. My mental got stronger, emotionally I’m stronger and physically I’m stronger.”

---

 

(Aaron E. Martinez / American-Statesman via USA Today)

Worthy has found a new comfort zone.

On Saturday afternoon, he sat down in his uniform and leaned against the goal post in the south end zone of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. He closed his eyes and took time to meditate before hopping up to begin pregame warm-ups.

“He told me that before every game, he’ll sit for five minutes and silence everything,” Jones said.

 

She encouraged him to give it a try to refocus, stay centered and keep things in perspective. After what Worthy went through in 2022, he needed new methods for self-care to deal with pressure and get back in the right headspace. Jones reminded him of a saying that hangs in her office: Never become intoxicated by success or paralyzed by failure.

His first two seasons at Texas provided experience in both extremes. This year, he’s aiming for a healthier balance. Sarkisian has vowed people would start seeing a dramatically different version of Worthy. So far, so good. Worthy kicked off his junior season with seven catches for 90 yards against Rice. He made guys miss. He had zero drops. He looked like X again.

“I think the guy is having more fun now than he’s ever had here,” Sarkisian said.

Despite his frustrations, Worthy insists he did not seriously consider transferring at the end of last year, as was widely rumored. “Just a lot of people talking,” he said. Why stay? Because he came to Texas to play for Sark and wants to finish it out with him.

Sarkisian frequently praised Worthy throughout the offseason for the way he “re-committed” himself to the program and to his teammates. Now that Bijan Robinson is off to the NFL, Worthy is the dude who sparks Texas’ offense. But it’s so much more than that.

Worthy needed to build up his chemistry with Ewers. He had to keep refining and become a more complete receiver. It was time to become a leader and help bring along touted freshmen like Johntay Cook. He’s been the first guy on the practice field and one of the last to leave. He got serious about his nutrition. He’s sitting in the front row of meetings. He’s wearing No. 1 now, his old high school number. He’s playing more relaxed. The confidence that impressed everyone during his freshman campaign is back.

“I don’t think people get how hard he works, because nobody sees it,” Texas receiver Jordan Whittington said. “But that’s one of the good things about him. He doesn’t need a spotlight to go to work. He’s a guy who behind the scenes has been really working on perfecting his craft. I’m really excited to see him play. He’s truly one of the best receivers in the nation.”

Worthy is ready to remind everyone of that against Alabama. He grinned this week and said he feels like he’s living his best life. The past few years have left Jones thoroughly convinced that all these good and bad things happened for a reason.

They’ve changed Worthy for the better. If you know him, you’ll notice.

“Seeing him evolve as a man and a person, I think that’s been the best part for me,” she said. “Everybody just sees a football player. But that’s my son. I’m seeing him grow up and make decisions and become this man. I’m just really proud.”

@immamac can we change the thread title? We’re better than this. 

[Lidig8r 1846]

X's mom... Let me count the ways I would let her defile me.

[ousux 5581]

He's off to a good start, here's hoping it continues and stays consistent all season. I had my doubts about the hand issue that wasn't revealed until the off season, but now I'm beginning to think both X and Quinn were hobbled in ways that were hushed up during the season. Yes, Quinn's deep ball hasn't seemed to improve, but he was inexplicably missing even the short and intermediate stuff he was hitting just fine before Dallas Turner drove him into the turf...and I think he reinjured himself either late in the bloU game or after.

X was also not going after balls he would have earlier in the season (remember his diving deep ball catch against Bama?) which leads me to believe he was banged up...possibly more than the coaching staff themselves even realized. Players have been known to downplay injuries to the training staff in an effort to not get benched so who knows.

[Hookem2147 20876]

Dude got a bad rap from all the body-language experts last year but by all accounts is a kid who works his ass off and wants to be great. He's going to have a huge game tomorrow.

[LTtxfan 48823]

Nice title change @immamac 

Get that win in Tuscaloosa !!!  🤘

[Kwix 2186]

 

7 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

Dude got a bad rap from all the body-language experts last year but by all accounts is a kid who works his ass off and wants to be great. He's going to have a huge game tomorrow.

Don't forget the social media experts

[MirrOlure 14576]

Dude got a bad rap from all the body-language experts last year but by all accounts is a kid who works his ass off and wants to be great. He's going to have a huge game tomorrow.

Subscribed

[Thatguy 8394]

4 hours ago, Hookem2147 said:

Dude got a bad rap from all the body-language experts last year but by all accounts is a kid who works his ass off and wants to be great. He's going to have a huge game tomorrow.

  Dude got a bad rap from not trying. Hand or no hand everyone saw it. That is why this campaign "of a new X" is being pushed so hard. This isn't for us. This is for the NFL scouts. They are trying to rebuild his image to get a higher draft grade since he will be bouncing after this season.

[Hookem2147 20876]

edit: nvm

Edited September 8, 2023 by Hookem2147

[Thatguy 8394]

4 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

edit: nvm

  Don't get me wrong. I am hoping what I saw on Saturday will carry the entire season. He ran hard, didn't gator arm a single ball, caught balls with his hands, and fought for the ball when contested. He got robbed of a PI and a catch by the zebras. In a big game with normal officiating, those are the difference between winning and losing. Here is to a good and HEALTHY season X.