WACO, Texas — Baylor football's Jaxon Player was able to end his collegiate career in a unique way.
Because of construction to Baylor's indoor football facility, the team had to hold their Pro Day at Midway High School's activity center.
For Player, it meant showing off for NFL scouts on the campus of his high school.
“Man, I’m blessed," he said. "I don’t think too many people get to do their Pro Days at their home high school’s field.”
Player graduated from Midway in 2018. He used the indoor practice facility there for three years and says he has great memories of sacking current Wisconsin quarterback and former SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai on that field when they were teammates.
Most importantly for Player, he got to workout for all 32 NFL teams in front of his friends and family.
“Me being from Waco, it was hard telling people they couldn’t come, there were only a limited amount of guests," he said.
Nineteen Baylor players participated in the day and while they are all on the same team, they are technically competing for the best times. Because of this, some of his teammates joked that he had a "home-field advantage."
"I think I was the first one to hit him up saying 'man you must have paid someone or something,'" Chidi Ogbonnaya said. "How many people get to do their pro day at their high school field or somewhere they’ve lived their entire life, ya know.”
When Player left Midway, he went to the University of Tulsa where he played for four seasons. In 2021, he was named to the First Team All-AAC. After that season, he transferred home to play at Baylor.
“I got to be around family," Player explained. "My grandpa was sick my last year at Tulsa, he's still sick but I got to be home more. My house is just 10 minutes from the stadium and he got to come to the games. I'm blessed to be here and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
Before the 2022 season, Player told the media after a practice that he was looking forward to home-cooked meals, but did joke about where they'd come from.
“My mom can't cook that great, but she does cook a few meals, she cooks a few meals that are good but I get good home cooked meals from my aunts," he said in August 2022.
Now that the year has gone by, he wanted to update everyone on her progress.
“She worked on her cooking," he joked. "She made it up to me for sure, that’s why I was heavier in the season for sure.”
For Player, there truly is no place like home.
