Fresno native Xavier Worthy gifts childhood coach with 98" TV ahead of NFL Draft

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Xavier Worthy is one of the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft with some mock drafts projecting the former Central Grizzly to be a first round draft pick.

Ahead of draft night, he had a special surprise for a former coach in the Central Valley.

In partnership with TCL, Worthy surprised his childhood coach Chris Maxey with a 98" TV. Worthy calls Maxey a father figure who convinced him to run track, something that set Worthy on his way to breaking the record for the 40 yard dash at the 2024 NFL Combine.

"Just having the opportunity to be in his life and help him and he chose me," Maxey said of the donation. "I think that that's very, very special."

As a junior at Central HS, Worthy helped the Grizzlies win the 2019 D-1AA state title before COVID-19 took away his senior season. "I was a football player before track," Worthy said of Maxey. "Him giving me that aspect to get my speed up and just the element of what track brings with football players...he helped me a lot with that."

RELATED: Worthy talks record-setting combine, NFL Draft

Worthy landed at Texas where he tied the freshman touchdown record. He finished his Longhorns career with 26 TD receptions, 3rd most in program history.

"They always say you can be fast but you can't run routes," Maxey said. "I think that he's one that can do both.

Coach Maxey first met Worthy when Xavier was in the third grade and saw then that he would develop into a special athlete.

In the 7th grade when Xavier's mom couldn't get time off work, Maxey took Worthy on a six-day trip to Virginia for the Junior Olympics.

"I'm very very proud and thankful that he acknowledged the support," Maxey told Action News.

You can watch round one of the draft at 5:00 pm Thursday on ABC30.

For sports updates, follow Stephen Hicks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.