Back from the Brink: Xavier Thomas was ready to quit football, but now he's found his way |
CLEMSON –
Xavier Thomas is back from the brink. Back from the brink of depression. Back from the brink of quitting the game he loves.
Thomas entered Clemson as a highly-touted 5-star defensive end prospect, and he left high school with a plan: star for three years in college and then take his talents to the NFL. A concussion meant missing three games in 2019, and he wound up with just 27 total tackles. A lengthy bout with COVID led to Thomas missing the first three games of 2020, and then another injury caused him to miss the ACC Championship Game against Notre Dame and the Sugar Bowl against Ohio State. Thomas sat in his room playing video games while his teammates played on the field, and he then watched several of his peers earn their way into the NFL. Thomas attended The Opening as a high school senior in 2017, along with players like Patrick Surtain, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Micah Parsons, and more than a few others who had followed the three-year plan to the league. Watching them achieve their dreams hurt while he was on the sidelines and Thomas’ weight ballooned to 290 pounds. He didn’t like the person staring back at him. “It was actually just seeing myself every day, just being disappointed looking in the mirror every day,” Thomas told TigerNet this week. “And seeing my old self and where I was then. And then seeing a lot of guys that I came up with. I had my plans to have a great third year and then go out to the draft. I saw a lot of those guys I came in with get drafted and that just motivated me because I had a plan to be there and I didn’t get there. I wanted to get back to where I wanted to be and get my weight back to where it needed to be. “I was just feeling sorry for myself in regards to gaining all of the weight. Reading a lot of the negative things that were said about me online. Really just worrying about all of the wrong things in life and I wasn't focusing. I was feeling sorry for myself, and I was disappointed about where I planned to be that year and where I was. I had to do a lot of headspace and praying to get my mind right.” Thomas almost quit, but a conversation with head coach Dabo Swinney led to a change of heart. “You can ask Coach Swinney, I contacted him over the phone before camp and was really fixing to give up and do it but we came up with a plan,” Thomas said. “Even during that season, I was disappointed in myself. I was down and really in a depressed state of mind to where I wanted to stop playing and give up but my coaches and teammates kept me going. This past January, I worked my tail off doing two-a-days and got back to where I wanted to be.” Thomas has exploded early this season, racking up 3 1/2 sacks during the season’s first five games. Now weighing in closer to 260 pounds, Thomas is back to where he wants to be, feeling better and playing better. And it means more. “Just where I came from last year in regards to little obstacles I went through last year - gaining a lot of weight. I was giving up on myself and going to give up on football. It was about not giving up yourself, believing in God, and believing in yourself,” Thomas said. “The main thing was the weight. My preparation - coming out here and practicing every day with a purpose, studying film. My knowledge of the game is way more superior than what it was. I can really play free and like myself without thinking a lot and just doing what I do.” Family, friends and faith pushed him through the darkness. “Just leaning on my friends, family, teammates, and coaches. They helped me with a lot of things and to get through that. Also, praying to God and keeping the faith,” Thomas said. His teammates have taken notice. “Last season, I remember he wasn't all the way into it, but seeing him how he is now is really inspiring. It makes me want to keep going hard in the game and bring it each and every day,” cornerback Andrew Booth said. “I know he was down bad but how he is now is great to see. He's a pivotal point in our defense and how he pass rushes. It's insane if you watch him coming of the edge. It's crazy. He shouldn't be moving that fast being that big. I'm very thankful for him and how he's worked and come back.” Defensive end KJ Henry was at The Opening with Thomas back in 2017 and knows the pressure his friend and teammate has been under. “I could sit here probably all night and talk about XT. In recruiting, we came up together. We were in the same age group, the same class,” Henry said. “We took the same visits. We had the same rankings. We've been so close throughout this whole process. He's been through so much. A lot of people really don't know the pressure he's had to go through - always being the XT people want him to be - but he's being the best XT he can be and that's all we can ask for and it's shown this year. He's a hard worker and a fighter. Mentally, he's so strong. I promise you, some of the things he's had to endure, a lot of people wouldn't be able to move on from - not only move on from but he's succeeding at the highest level. “It's so easy to celebrate him and I'm so happy to see him be successful. That's my brother for life and I love him.” Safety Nolan Turner has one word to describe Thomas: dominant. “He’s just a freak, and you can tell a big difference just in how he’s playing right now,” Turner said. “He’s just dominant. I was watching (the tape), and I think they were backed up inside their own 5-yard line on one of those third-and-longs, and their left tackle had no chance. He just blows right by him getting off the ball.” Defensive coordinator Brent Venables loves the Thomas transformation. “He’s being accountable and showing up every day and caring about the team and getting his priorities straight and being the best version of himself,” Venables said. “Things haven't always gone his way and some of it was self-inflicted, some of it wasn't, but ultimately you still have to make a decision on what your commitment is going to be and whether or not you want to buy into the excuses that are out there for all of us or you say, 'You know what? I'm going to bite down and find a way. I'm going to make it happen.' “Through determination and commitment, he's really transformed himself and has really had an excellent year so far. He's still just scratching the surface of what he can be. Very proud of him. He puts a lot on himself and he'd be the first one to tell you that as a young person he was outside-in where you have to be inside-out, not just as a player but as a person to be successful. Don't try to judge to yourself against anyone else. Be inside-out in everything that you do. “Being consistent with those habits that allow you to be successful and that's a hard thing to do. I'm proud of him for sticking with it and for coming back better than he has since he's been here.” That led to last Saturday’s performance against Boston College. Thomas was credited with a 13-yard sack and jumped up and screamed back at the Death Valley crowd, finally in his element. "It was fun. Playing free, playing with a lot of knowledge of the game and just doing what I do,” Thomas said. Back from the brink. In 4 FBS games, Xavier Thomas has a 18% pressure rate (10th nationally), 3.5 sacks, 2 pressures that resulted in a takeaway, 12 solo tackles and 7 stops at or behind the line of scrimmage.
It’s been a long wait to see XT at his best, but dude has been a beast in 2021.
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