Photo courtesy to Getty Images, Xavier Gipson
Woodrow Wilson alum Xavier Gipson is making quite the name for himself after his game-winning touchdown in overtime against the Buffalo Bills on Monday, the first game of his NFL career as wide receiver for the New York Jets.
It was supposed to be Aaron Rodgers’ debut game as his first series for the Jets, until the quarterback spun into the turf, tearing his Achilles tendon just four snaps into the game. It was a nail-biting tie in the fourth quarter, both teams fighting for a win in overtime. But in the end, it was a heroic game-winning dream for Gipson.
The 22-year-old undrafted rookie broke the tie, returning a punt 65 yards for a walk-off touchdown.
The odds were stacked against Gipson from the jump. The athlete went undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. A few days later he signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent. He became a fan-favorite with many football fans with his cameo in “Hard Knocks” when head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas welcomed him to their Jets family.
Gipson worked hard in preseason to show the coaches that he was worth being on the final roster.
Gipson said in a postgame news conference it felt like he was dreaming. He thanked God for the opportunity and his coach for believing in him. With 9 minutes in overtime and the ball in his hand, he didn’t know what to do, but he just kept running, he said.
Reflecting on Gipson’s football history, the Dallas-based football player attended Woodrow Wilson High School. He was a four-year starter for them as a cornerback and began playing wide receiver his senior season.
Gipson had initially committed to play college football at Southern Methodist University as a cornerback but decided to play on offense at Stephen F. Austin State University. He played for all four seasons of college football.
The young athlete caught 52 passes for 934 yards and seven touchdowns. He was named second-team All-Southland Conference his freshman season. After finishing his sophomore season with 52 receptions for 841 yards and nine touchdowns, the player was named first-team All-Southland. In addition, Gipson was named the Offensive Player of the Year of the Western Athletic Conference after catching 74 passes for 1,367 yards and 14 touchdowns his junior year. He won the title again in his senior season.
His college football career seems to be just the beginning of what we can expect from the undrafted rookie this year. We’ll have to see what else Gipson will bring for the Jets this season.
