Xavier Smith

Last updated
Xavier Smith
No. 19 – Los Angeles Rams
Position: Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1997-09-21) September 21, 1997 (age 26)
Haines City, Florida, U.S.
Height:5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight:174 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High school: Ridge
(Davenport, Florida)
Haines City
(Haines City, Florida)
College: Florida A&M (2017–2022)
Undrafted: 2023
Career history
Roster status:Practice squad
Player stats at PFR

Xavier Smith (born September 21, 1997) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida A&M Rattlers and was signed by the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2023.

Contents

Early life

Smith was born on September 21, 1997, in Haines City, Florida. [1] He attended Ridge Community High School, then transferred to Haines City High School where he played running back. [2] [3] Being small, at 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) and 155 pounds (70 kg), and without significant statistics, he received no offers to play college football. [4] He developed a highlight film and contacted over 100 college coaches, but received no interest. [4] After he graduated from Haines City, he initially quit playing football, spending 2016 working with Amazon. [4]

College career

Smith applied for Florida A&M University in 2017 at the suggestion of his mother, who had attended there. [4] After being accepted, he tried out for the Florida A&M Rattlers football team as a walk-on and ultimately made the team. [4] His brother, Kareem, had previously played with the Rattlers, and Smith wore the same jersey number 19 as his brother had. [3] Smith redshirted as a true freshman in 2017, being a member of the scout team, while becoming a wide receiver. [4] In 2018, he broke out with 52 receptions for 727 yards, being the team leader in both categories as well as a second-team All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) selection. [2]

In 2019, Smith totaled 77 catches for 1,159 yards and 11 touchdowns, being fifth nationally in receiving yards per game, ninth in receptions per game, 10th in receiving yards and 16th in touchdown catches. [2] [5] He received several honors including first-team All-MEAC, BoxToRow All-American, second-team American Football Coaches Association] (AFCA) All-American, and HERO Sports sophomore All-American. [5] The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [4]

Smith recorded 64 catches for 713 yards and three touchdowns in the 2021 season, being the team leader in receiving and placing sixth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). [2] [5] As a senior in 2022, he caught 87 passes for 1,021 yards and 11 touchdowns, being named an HBCU All-American and All-SWAC while leading the conference in receiving. [4] [6] He ended his collegiate career with 44 games played and 193 catches for 2,599 yards. [2] He was invited to the HBCU Legacy Bowl all-star game following the 2022 season, where he caught six passes for 85 yards and a touchdown while being named the offensive MVP. [4] [7]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 9+1⁄8 in
(1.76 m)		174 lb
(79 kg)		29+1⁄4 in
(0.74 m)		9 in
(0.23 m)		4.48 s1.52 s2.52 s4.16 s7.19 s36.5 in
(0.93 m)		9 ft 8 in
(2.95 m)		13 reps
All values from HBCU Combine/Pro Day [8]

After going unselected in the 2023 NFL draft, Smith signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent. [9] He was waived at the final roster cuts and subsequently re-signed to the practice squad. [10] After having spent the entire season on the practice squad, he signed a reserve/future contract with the Rams on January 16, 2024. [11]

Smith was waived by the Rams on August 27, 2024, and re-signed to the practice squad. [12]

Related Research Articles

Christopher Jackson is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator for The University of Texas. During the 2022 season, he was the wide receivers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the Chicago Bears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod Windsor</span> American football player (born 1985)

Rodrickus Windsor is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Western New Mexico University.

Brian Edward Tyms is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Florida A&M. He signed with the San Francisco 49ers as undrafted free agent in 2012. He has also been a member of the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Toronto Argonauts, Orlando Apollos, and Salt Lake Stallions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phillip Dorsett</span> American football player (born 1993)

Phillip Howard Dorsett II is an American professional football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. He has also played for the New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, and Denver Broncos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucky Whitehead</span> American gridiron football player (born 1992)

Rodney Darnell "Lucky" Whitehead Jr. is an American professional football wide receiver for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played high school football at Osbourn High School in Manassas, Virginia. He played college football at Florida Atlantic, and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He has also been a member of the New York Jets and BC Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demarcus Robinson</span> American football player (born 1994)

Demarcus Dontavian Robinson is an American professional football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL draft and won Super Bowl LIV with the team. He has also played for the Baltimore Ravens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cam Akers</span> American football player (born 1999)

Cam Akers is an American professional football running back for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Powell</span> American football player (born 1995)

Brandon Powell is an American professional football wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida. He has been a member of the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and the Los Angeles Rams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darrell Henderson</span> American football player (born 1997)

Darrell Henderson Jr. is an American professional football running back who is a free agent. He played college football for the Memphis Tigers, and was selected by the Rams in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 North Carolina A&T Aggies football team</span> American college football season

The 2019 North Carolina A&T Aggies football team represented North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This marked the 96th season for the program, and the Aggies were led by second-year head coach Sam Washington. The Aggies finished the season with a record of 9–3 overall and 6–2 in MEAC play, capturing their 11th conference title. The Aggies also earned an invitation to the Celebration Bowl where they defeated Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Alcorn State, earning their seventh black college football national championship. The Aggies played their home games at BB&T Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikola Kalinic (gridiron football)</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1997)

Nikola Kalinic is a Canadian professional football tight end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He has previously played in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts and in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler Johnson (American football)</span> American football player (born 1998)

Tyler Johnson is an American professional football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Minnesota, and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft. He also briefly played for the Houston Texans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Jefferson</span> American football player (born 1996)

Vanchi LaShawn Jefferson Jr. is an American professional football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ole Miss and Florida and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.

Jacob Harris is an American professional football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at UCF.

J. J. Koski is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Cal Poly.

Otis Lee Anderson Jr. was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at UCF and entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2021. That same year, his father shot and killed him, garnering national attention. Anderson, who was not signed to a roster slot at the time of the occurrence, was a former practice squad member of the Los Angeles Rams.

Jerreth Sterns is an American professional football wide receiver for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Houston Baptist before transferring to Western Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaquarii Roberson</span> American football player (born 1998)

Jaquarii Roberson is an American professional football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Wake Forest and signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2022. Roberson holds the single-season record for receiving yards per game (102.9) at Wake Forest.

Drake Stoops is an American professional football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners. He is the son of former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops.

Sam Wiglusz is an American professional football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Ohio Bobcats.

References

  1. ↑ "Xavier Smith Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Xavier Smith". Los Angeles Rams.
  3. 1 2 Thomas III, Gerald (November 2, 2022). "ShineTime: FAMU football receiver Xavier Smith is a Bragg Memorial Stadium legend". Tallahassee Democrat .
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Davenport, Turron (April 6, 2023). "From Amazon to NFL hopeful: How FAMU's Xavier Smith turned dreams to reality". ESPN.
  5. 1 2 3 "Xavier Smith". Florida A&M Rattlers.
  6. ↑ Thomas III, Gerald (February 20, 2023). "Turn on the Jets! FAMU football receiver Xavier Smith reacts to combine 40-yard dash". Tallahassee Democrat .
  7. ↑ "Florida A&M's Xavier Smith continues to make the most of his opportunity". WTXL-TV. March 31, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Xavier Smith College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Florida A&M: Xavier Smith signs with Los Angeles Rams". WTXL-TV. April 30, 2023.
  10. ↑ Jackson, Stu (August 31, 2023). "Rams sign 16 players to initial practice squad for 2023 season". Los Angeles Rams.
  11. ↑ Jackson, Stu (January 15, 2024). "Rams sign 15 players to Reserve/Future contracts". Los Angeles Rams.
  12. ↑ Jackson, Stu (August 28, 2024). "Rams sign 17 players to initial practice squad for 2024 season". TheRams.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.