Xavier Worthy was born on April 27, 2003, in Fresno, Calif., and he’s one of the youngest wide receivers in the NFL. With the No. 28 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Worthy, whose 4.21 40-yard dash time is the fastest in NFL Combine history. Does blazing speed run in the family?
Getting To Know Xavier Worthy’s Mother
Worthy is the pride and joy of his mother, Nicky Jones.
Jones has been a huge advocate for her son, as evidenced by her social media posts over the years. When Worthy broke the 40-yard dash record at the NFL Combine, she couldn’t contain her enthusiasm.
“MY SON is fastest guy in the history of the NFL Combine! #historymade” she wrote.
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Before Worthy turned heads at the NFL Combine or got drafted by the Chiefs, Jones played a pivotal role in making sure her son would be eligible to graduate from high school in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. She enrolled him in ALVS (Apex Learning Virtual School), allowing him to earn his high school diploma one year early.
“I did some asking around, and someone recommended ALVS,” Jones wrote. “After researching their website and speaking directly with one of their Program Coordinators, I decided to enroll Xavier in the ALVS program.
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“Their staff worked directly with the Director of Recruiting at the university Xavier planned to attend, to ensure the proposed class schedule met all NCAA academic eligibility requirements. Xavier’s instructors were great to work with!
“The online classroom and coursework were simple and easy to follow. His Student Success Advisor and instructors were readily available to answer any questions I had. They also frequently communicated his progress throughout his time enrolled. Once his classes were completed, again, ALVS worked with the university to provide required documents, final transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc., to help complete his college enrollment.”
Worthy initially committed to play college football at Michigan, but he ultimately changed his mind and decided to play at Texas instead. Despite being an 18-year-old true freshman, he was named a Freshman All-American and the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year. Also, in 2021 and 2023, he was a first-team All-Big 12 selection (and he was an All-Big 12 second-team selection in 2022).
According to The Athletic’s Max Olson, Jones was involved in getting her son enrolled at Texas. Just a few days before Worthy was set to attend Michigan alongside the other freshman early enrollees, the school’s strict admissions standards for midyear enrollees prevented him from getting admitted. A staffer told Worthy that he would be better off enrolling in Michigan’s summer bridge program.
“For me, that didn’t fly,” Jones 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?”
Thank you for representing yourself, family, & city the way you did these past 3 yrs. No off the field issues. Played every game, even when injured. Persevered thru bad times & stayed humble during good times. Being your mom is one of my greatest joys in life! So thankful! pic.twitter.com/9AQjM1NFfO
— N I C K Y (@NickyNicole_J) January 4, 2024
And as Worthy’s college career came to a close, Jones posted a message on social media highlighting her son’s impressive accomplishments and dedication.
“Thank you for representing yourself, family, & city the way you did these past 3 yrs. No off the field issues. Played every game, even when injured. Persevered thru bad times & stayed humble during good times. Being your mom is one of my greatest joys in life! So thankful!”
Now, his NFL dream has become a reality, and he joins a Chiefs team that is attempting to win a record third-straight Super Bowl.
A souvenir for Mom ❤️ @XavierWorthy @NickyNicole_J
📺: #NOvsKC on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/hFt9Qev3eL— NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2024
He’s in perhaps the best situation possible for a young wide receiver, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes throwing him passes and head coach Andy Reid putting him in positions to succeed.