Tuesday's Central Valley sports news included a Central High alum declaring for the NFL Draft, and an outgoing Fresno State defensive star from Sanger getting an opportunity to impress scouts at a college all-star showcase.
Central alum announces he is leaving Texas for NFL
As a 12-year-old, Fresno native Xavier Worthy placed in the top ten at the Junior Olympics in the 100m, 200m, and the long jump, and they called him "Flash" on the youth football field, after the comic superhero with blazing speed.
That blazing speed made him a star at Central High School, and then took him to the University of Texas, where he was an All Big 12 selection in all three years there, and an Associated Press third-team All-American as an all-purpose player this season as a junior, when he led the Big 12 in receiving yards, and had the second-best punt return average in the nation during the regular season.
On Tuesday, the former four-star recruit who helped lead Central to a state title in 2019, announced he is ready to take that speed to the next level, as he posted a video to his X account, in which he shared that he is declaring for the NFL Draft.
The announcement came a day after Worthy caught two passes for 45 yards in the Longhorns College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Washington.
Bulldog nickelback Norris will participate in showcase
We are entering the start of the all-star season in the college ranks, where NFL draft-eligible players get an opportunity to impress scouts at the next level.
And we also learned Tuesday that outgoing Fresno State nickelback Morice Norris Jr. will participate in the College Gridiron Showcase later this week.
According to the event's website, it is the first major all-star event of the college postseason, and will take place over several days in Fort Worth, Texas this week.
Norris, a Sanger High alum, was the Bulldogs' fourth-leading tackler, and had two picks, as a senior this season.