From Amazon to NFL hopeful

Xavier Smith completed his highschool enjoying profession with out a lot consideration or fanfare. His desires of enjoying soccer at a better stage appeared bleak.

He did not have the snazzy statistics like another prospects, and at 5-foot-9 and 155 kilos, he did not cross the attention check both.

“I actually did not obtain any provides popping out of highschool,” Smith mentioned.

And now, he is hoping his desires will turn into a actuality through the 2023 NFL draft (April 27 on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+) after just lately finishing his school profession at Florida A&M.

In truth, the large receiver prospect has already caught the attention of Steve Smith Sr., who had a famed NFL profession at large receiver whereas additionally standing at 5-9.

“He is a big-time participant,” Smith Sr. mentioned on his Minimize To It podcast. “If he performed at a much bigger faculty, a Energy 5, he’d be a top-20 decide.”

However Smith, 25, virtually gave up on all of it.

Popping out of highschool, Smith despatched direct messages on social media to numerous junior school coaches. He even put collectively a spotlight reel and emailed it to over 100 extra coaches throughout the nation. However nothing appeared to work.

“I used to be actually executed with the game as an entire,” Smith mentioned. “It was out of frustration, and I used to be it like possibly soccer is not what God had in retailer for me.”

With a scarcity of curiosity from schools, Smith began working for Amazon in 2016. Nevertheless, some phrases of encouragement modified his outlook on the course of his life.

“It should occur in God’s timing,” Smith’s mom, Angenetta Sanchious, informed him.

AFTER A YEAR of stacking pallets and getting shipments out at Amazon, Smith’s mother advised making use of to her alma mater, Florida A&M, a Division I HBCU situated only a few miles away from Florida State in Tallahassee, Florida. His coworkers echoed her sentiments to go to high school, a possibility that might enable him to walk-on and fulfill his dream.

Earlier than Smith aspired to NFL heights, he had dreamt of enjoying for Florida A&M. He needed to be part of the annual in-state rivalry recreation between Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman that dates again to 1978.

“Rising up, we all the time went to the Florida Traditional,” Smith mentioned. “I received an opportunity to look at FAMU after I was 7, 8 years outdated. There was all the time a giant crowd, so I might all the time inform myself ‘At some point I need to play there.’ That was my dream, to play at FAMU.”

The college’s response wasn’t the acceptance letter Smith had hoped for, however, as a substitute, a proposal for a six-week summer season bridge program to realize admission.

Smith handed his bridge courses, however making the soccer group can be one other hurdle. Smith went to all the summer season practices as an observer as his brother, Kareem, performed large receiver on the group. However Smith could not check out till the primary day of courses.

When that day got here, large receivers coach Steven Jerry was already conversant in Smith due to Kareem, who was going into his senior yr.

However as soon as the youthful Smith received out on the sphere, Jerry was capable of see what Kareem had been telling him all alongside. Smith’s velocity and quickness made him a believer, and Jerry turned influential in changing him to large receiver from operating again (the place he performed in highschool).

That call paid off shortly, as Smith excelled in follow as a member of the scout group throughout his first season in 2017. Smith used that redshirt yr as a “free yr to get higher.”

“My first fall camp was his first,” mentioned teammate Isaiah Land, who’s thought-about the No. 1 HBCU draft prospect. “First, he was over on the scout group, so I needed to see if he was good or not. I noticed it in him and knew he was going to be particular. It was a matter of time earlier than everybody else noticed it.”

Smith’s likelihood got here when coach Willie Simmons took over this system earlier than the 2018 season. Smith’s expertise on the time was seen, nevertheless it was powerful to measure, nevertheless, as a result of nobody stored stats throughout follow.

When Simmons constructed a tentative depth chart based mostly on suggestions from folks across the program, he had Smith pegged as a second-team exterior receiver.

“That lasted about quarter-hour,” Simmons mentioned with amusing. “Seeing him transfer round, we knew he was going to be one in all our high receivers. From that second day on, he was one of many guys.”

It is also a purpose that Smith went from walk-on to a scholarship participant that yr. Endurance, as his mother had preached, had paid off.

“Each time my time got here she informed me to take advantage of it,” Smith mentioned. “It was constructed up for thus lengthy. I used to be simply able to let unfastened.”

SMITH’S FIRST CATCH was a 7-yard reception on a bubble display towards Fort Valley State. Later that recreation he scored his first landing on a seam route.

He completed the 2018 season with 48 receptions for 668 yards and 4 touchdowns, and his true breakout season got here the next yr when he posted 71 catches for 1,159 yards and 11 touchdowns.

That season is when Smith realized that an NFL future was potential. Smith’s finest recreation that season got here towards Delaware State when he had 9 receptions for 184 yards and 4 touchdowns, giving him nationwide recognition.

“I knew after these 4 touchdowns, that was the single-game report for my faculty,” Smith mentioned. “I ended up being on ESPN with Joey Galloway giving me the helmet sticker.”

The Mid-Japanese Athletic Convention canceled fall soccer in 2020 amid the pandemic, resuming play within the fall of 2021 when Smith recorded 64 receptions for 713 yards and 4 touchdowns. In 2022, he was named an HBCU All-American with a career-high 87 receptions for 1,021 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior.

Smith concluded his collegiate profession within the recreation he dreamed about all of his life, the place he had 5 catches for 73 yards within the Rattlers’ 41-20 win over Bethune-Cookman within the Florida Traditional. He would additionally go on to attain his ultimate landing of his profession on a 32-yard cross from Jeremy Moussa.

When Smith confronted off towards a few of the colleges that ignored or rejected his highschool spotlight movies, it fueled his hearth.

“I needed to show to them that I belong,” Smith mentioned. “I took it personally as a result of I felt like the blokes that have been on their group have been the blokes that they selected over me.”

Then, in February on the HBCU mix in New Orleans, NFL scouts and personnel noticed his velocity and quickness in individual.

“Most groups that we talked to knew of him,” Smith’s agent, Rasheeda Liberty, mentioned. “That is a terrific factor for a small-school man. Groups felt his manufacturing gave him a reputation, however they needed to see how he would check.”

Smith’s blazing 4.38 and 4.39 second occasions within the 40-yard sprint elicited smiles on the scouts’ faces. The time of 4.38 would have been tied for the fourth quickest amongst receivers on the NFL scouting mix in Indianapolis.

His in-person exercises and measurables transferred to the sphere assessments the place Smith caught the whole lot thrown his approach.

Scouts observed Smith took half within the subject testing with out his gloves, which is uncommon as a result of most receivers put on gloves to have the ability to catch the ball simpler. Smith forgot to pack them however wasn’t going to let that cease him from showcasing his expertise in entrance of representatives from 30 (out of 32) NFL groups.

“He is a sophisticated route runner with velocity, quickness and the flexibility to arrange defenders,” one scout informed ESPN. “He persistently will get open and has ball abilities. Whoever takes him on Day 3 or as an undrafted free agent will get an amazing playmaker.”

Throughout the week of follow following the mix main as much as the Legacy Bowl, an All-Star recreation solely for HBCU prospects, Smith interviewed with 21 groups and was named offensive MVP of the sport with six catches for 85 yards and a landing.

ALL OF THE gaudy school numbers have been only a cherry on high of Smith’s true driving pressure.

Seeing his now retired mom deal with him, his brother and two sisters on her personal served as motivation for Smith to push his technique to the massive leagues.

“Simply seeing the arduous work that she put in and all the sacrifices she made for us to achieve success, it gave me that additional motivation to need to deal with her for the remainder of her life,” Smith mentioned.

Seven years faraway from highschool, Smith’s focus has shifted to the NFL, however he was trustworthy about his journey as a professional prospect: “I might be mendacity if I mentioned I noticed this [opportunity].”

His path from highschool to Amazon to Florida A&M and in the end up to now has been removed from typical. However Smith feels it has ready him for the subsequent step.

“I have been by way of a variety of trials and tribulations to get right here,” Smith mentioned. “I do know within the NFL there will probably be a variety of belongings you undergo. It may well solely get higher for my part. No matter comes with it, I am prepared for it.”