Xavier Worthy is known for doing things quickly. The Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver ran a record 4.21-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Kansas City eventually traded up to select him No. 28 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, giving Patrick Mahomes another explosive weapon.
But before Worthy begins running around an NFL field, he slows everything down. He walks toward the goalpost. Then he talks to his late great-grandmother.
It’s a personal pregame ritual Worthy began after entering the NFL, and one that carries an incredible connection to Kansas City as the Chiefs prepare to host the Denver Broncos on “Monday Night Football.”
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Xavier Worthy Honors Late Great-Grandmother Before Games
Worthy’s great-grandmother, Tressie, died shortly before he was selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Worthy told Pete Grathoff of The Kansas City Star in 2025 that her death led him to begin a tradition he has continued before Chiefs games.
“My great-grandma passed right before I got drafted,” Worthy told Grathoff. “So I’ve been doing it since I got to the league. I go to the goalpost every time.”
There isn’t a scripted message or elaborate ceremony.
“Nothing crazy, I just kind of talk to her,” Worthy said.
It’s his opportunity to keep his great-grandmother’s memory close while experiencing an NFL career she never got to see begin.
The family connection becomes even more remarkable because of where Worthy ultimately landed.
According to The Kansas City Star, Tressie moved to Kansas City when she was a child and spent 13 years there before moving to California. She was the grandmother of Worthy’s mother, Nicky Jones.
Decades later, the Chiefs traded up in the first round to bring her great-grandson back to Kansas City.
Worthy’s Story Adds Different Perspective Before Broncos Game
Worthy has developed into much more than the player who broke the Combine’s 40-yard dash record. His NFL career has already included playoff moments, touchdowns from Mahomes and plenty of attention surrounding his extraordinary speed.
There is also a much more personal story happening before fans ever see him catch a pass. Worthy’s ritual isn’t about football statistics or preparing for a particular defensive back. It’s about remembering someone who was gone just before one of the biggest moments of his life.
That makes Monday night particularly interesting.
Arrowhead Stadium will be packed. Mahomes’ return will dominate the national conversation. The Chiefs and Broncos will renew one of the NFL’s most recognizable rivalries.
Worthy will have an important role in all of it.
But sometime before kickoff, he’ll have something else to do first.
He’ll walk over to the goalpost.
And he’ll talk to his great-grandmother.
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