All roads that lead to the NFL are not always smooth. Some have been obstacles that you will have to navigate through in order for you to reach your destination.
For Houston Texans rookie receiver Xavier Hutchinson, his path was a rocky one that sometimes had him wondering if he would even fulfill his dream of being an NFL player. The first-team All-American last season at Iowa State dreamed of becoming an NBA player in high school. All that changed by his senior year when he focused more on football.
Yet, for as much talent and passion Hutchinson displayed on the hardwood and football field, he failed to demonstrate those same characteristics and traits in the classroom. When college football programs showed interest in him, they were quickly discouraged by his grades, that was less than stellar.
Although he had the potential to be a starter in a Power 5 conference, Hutchinson couldn’t meet the academic requirements. His path to the NFL would have to start 941 miles away from home.
After graduation, he left Jacksonville, Florida, and moved to Brenham, Texas, to play football at Blinn College, the same institution where former 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton attended when his route to the league detoured from Florida.
“I wouldn’t be the man I am today; I wouldn’t be the football player I am today without me going to Blinn,” said Hutchinson when asked about his time in Brenham during his draft day interview. “Blinn really made me grow up in a lot of ways. It made me mature way more. It made me realize to take care of the things that are in front of you. To cherish the opportunities that you get.”
“Just to hear that phone call, to be honest, to see that Houston area code pop up, it was a great feeling,” said Houston Texans rookie WR Xavier Hutchinson when asked about being drafted to the NFL. #WeAreTexans #Sarge @TheTexansWire @XBH__8 @BlinnAthletics @IowaStateFB pic.twitter.com/QwwE0RVE5x
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) May 4, 2023
After spending two seasons at Blinn, where he amassed 62 catches for 958 yards and seven touchdowns, Hutchinson was offered a new path to fulfill his NFL dreams by Iowa State, where he shined over the next three years.
The 6-3, 205-pound wideout was a three-time first-team All-Big 12 selection for the Cyclones. In his final season, he caught 107 passes for 1,171 yards and six touchdowns. He was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, awarded annually to the top receiver in NCAA Division I football.
After a few obstacles along the path, Hutchinson finally made it to his destination. On Saturday, Houston traded up with the Buffalo Bills to select Hutchinson with the No. 205 overall pick in the draft.
“Just to hear that phone call, to be honest, to see that Houston area code pop up, it was a great feeling,” said Hutchinson. “Everything came full circle for me. I was overwhelmed, and I was extremely happy.”
With a new destination placed in Hutchinson’s NFL GPS, which he hopes takes him along the same path as some of the greatest wide receivers to ever play in the league, his goal is to help some other aspiring young men who may face some adversity along the way of fulfilling their dream to play in the NFL one day.
“I know it is not easy, and all they need is one role model who has gone through the same path as them to show them that it can be done,” Hutchinson answered when asked about helping the next generation achieve their goals. “To sit here in front of you guys (media) and to be able to say that it has been done, I hope that can inspire a lot of young JUCO players.
“It is not the immediate path to where they want to be. But it is not a pit either. It is something to be happy and blessed about. It could really forge you into the player that you want to be.”
