Reports: In pursuit of his NFL dream, XAVIER JOHNSON, confident in his ability to overcome obstacles once more, did not dwell on the combine.

Xavier Johnson is the only one of the nine Ohio State football players from last season who is currently pursuing an NFL career who was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.

Johnson might have felt overlooked for a reason. He never produced large numbers for the Buckeyes, but he was effective in every position he was given at Ohio State, where he led the team in special teams snaps each of the previous two seasons while playing both wide receiver and running back.

At 6-foot-1 and 202 pounds, he has NFL-caliber athleticism, and many of his former Ohio State teammates and coaches still believe highly of him for the professional ranks.

When asked if he was shocked Johnson wasn’t invited to the combine, former Ohio State tight end Cade Stover responded, “To be honest with you, I’m very surprised about that.” However, he is the type of man who will always overcome any obstacles. The young player will join a team, perform admirably, and play for a very long period.

Having to overcome the odds is nothing new for Johnson, who started his Ohio State career as a walk-on yet ended it as a team captain and a vital role player for the Buckeyes. That’s the perspective he’s kept as he’s gone through the draft process, particularly when he found out he wouldn’t be going to the combine.
“For me, it’s been the situation my entire life where I’ve just been in an uphill battle. And I think the Lord puts things in front of you and allows you to show how much you actually trust him,” Johnson said after Ohio State’s pro day. “So for me, it wasn’t a situation where I shied away or I tucked my tail, got down in the dumps. It’s like, ‘OK, I just gotta work harder. I gotta continue to trust him.’ And it was an opportunity for me to really put my money where my mouth is.”

Johnson hasn’t appeared in many mock draftsleading up to the NFL draft, but he said at Ohio State’s pro day that he had talked to at least 27 of the league’s 32 teams during the pre-draft process. He participated in the Hula Bowl, went through a full workout at OSU’s pro day and got an additional opportunity to impress his hometown NFL team last week when he participated in the Cincinnati Bengals’ local pro day on Tuesday alongside fellow Ohio State draft hopefuls Josh Proctor, Steele Chambers, Matt Jones and Miyan Williams.

Just going through the draft process has been “surreal” for Johnson, he said, as the dream he has had since early childhood is now within reach.

“From a little kid, I wanted to play football at the professional level since I was five years old,” Johnson said. “I started playing football when I was five, never missed a season. So it’s been the love of my life for the last 19 years. So to look back on that little kid out there practicing with my older brother, getting his drills and different things like that, fast forwarding all the way to this point, this process has been surreal. It’s been nothing short of a blessing.”

Hearing his name called as one of the 257 picks in this week’s draft is part of that dream, but Johnson knows from experience that all he needs to prove his worth is an opportunity. There are plenty of examples throughout the NFL of players who have succeeded despite going undrafted, and Johnson is confident in his ability to follow that path if he has to.

While Johnson worked out at pro day as a wide receiver, which he views as his best position, he feels he can naturally transition back to running back if needed. And he’s happy to play any role an NFL team wants him to play.

“I think my main thing is when I walk in that door, I’m gonna be ready to do anything and everything from special teams to playing on that first day as a receiver, playing as a running back,” Johnson said. “If they tell me that they need me to kick, then I’m gonna be out there kicking for six hours a day to try to figure it out. So I’m just gonna put my best foot forward. Like I said, I’m gonna glorify the Lord first and foremost, try to show that I’m an accountable young man and look up at the end of my career, just like when I did got here, and I think I’m gonna be happy with my results.”