INGLEWOOD – On Friday afternoon, Xavier Smith got the news from the Rams coaching staff that he had been waiting for: After a year-and-a-half with the team, all of it spent on the practice squad, the second-year receiver was being called up to the active roster for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers.
As soon as he got out of the meeting, Smith got on the phone with his mother in Florida.
“I called her and she got on a flight that night,” Smith said Sunday afternoon.
And wouldn’t you know it, Smith’s mother got to see her son deliver a game-altering play for the Rams, returning a punt 38 yards to midfield to help set up the Rams’ game-winning field goal in a 27-24 win over the Niners.
The Rams signed Smith as an undrafted free agent out of Florida A&M in 2023 and kept him on the practice squad after final roster cuts. He never got the call-up he dreamed of, but he continued to impress teammates and coaches alike as he made plays in practice.
Smith was one of the standouts of OTAs this past spring, and found himself in a fierce competition with Tyler Johnson for the final receiving job on the active roster. Ultimately, the Rams went with Johnson, who had been equally impressive in practices and had better physical tools to create separation in the NFL.
But Smith said he leaned on his faith as he dealt with the understandable disappointment from that setback, and stayed ready. Injuries to receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua necessitated Smith’s call-up this weekend, and he made the most of his opportunity when he finally got a punt to return late in Sunday’s game.
“Just seeing my guys getting their leverage on their blocks,” Smith said. “They did their job, I just wanted to do mine: Get around the edge and be able to set my team up with good field position.”
The Rams’ sideline was as energized as you’d expect in the moment, not just because of the importance of the play but also because of who had delivered it.
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“I was jumping around, for sure. I know a lot of people were,” Rams running back Ronnie Rivers said. “Just to have that moment, especially for him, it’s just amazing to see.”
“Those guys have been pushing me since I first got here, man,” Smith added, a game ball destined for his mother’s home tucked in his arms. “Just making sure I stayed the course, making sure I stayed focused even when I was waiting on my opportunity. So to just come back to those guys, it means more than anything.”