Seattle Sea Dragons coach Jim Haslett had a request of receiver Jahcour Pearson before an XFL open tryout in Orlando last year.
Haslett didn’t want Pearson to go through the workout or run in the 40-yard dash. The coach had timed Pearson in a very fast 4.28 seconds and he didn’t want to bring extra attention to his speed at the tryout.
“(Pearson) said, ‘Are you going to draft me?,’” Haslett. “I said, ‘Don’t worry, just don’t do the workout.’”
It all worked out.
“Honestly, I feel humble, but I don’t think there’s a DB that can guard me,” said Pearson, who has five more receptions than the league’s No. 2 receiver. “I want to play in the NFL, and I knew if I wanted to get to the next level, I’d have to be the best, if not one of the best (receivers) in this league.”
Pearson skipped the workout, the Sea Dragons drafted the 5-foot-8 receiver, and now he leads the XFL in receptions (23) and receiving yards (272).
Pearson will look to continue his fast start Saturday when the Sea Dragons (1-2) try for their first win at Lumen Field when they host the San Antonio Brahmas (1-2) at 7 p.m. Seattle will then host the Houston Roughnecks on Thursday.
“He kind of surprises you because for a small guy, he’s got a great catching radius,” Haslett said of Pearson. “He makes acrobatic catches and is smooth catching the football. … He can make all the catches and he’s real good player.”
Seattle comes into the game against the Brahmas with some momentum, rebounding from back-to-back losses that were decided in the final seconds with a 30-26 win at Vegas on the strength of a 65-yard, fourth-down touchdown pass with a minute left.
“We lost two games on the last play, which is kind of weird, but these guys hung in tight,” Haslett said. “It was one play here and one play there, and then we won by one play last week. … We’re a fun team to watch, that’s for sure.”
Pearson said he thinks the team is ready to get on a roll.
“We definitely have to get our first win at Lumen Field to get the fans into it, to get back to .500 and just keep the train rolling,” Pearson said of Saturday’s game. “It’s definitely a big game. We definitely want to win on Saturday so we get a packed crowd on Thursday.”
Pearson, who starred at Flanagan High School in Pembroke Pines, Florida, began his collegiate career at Western Kentucky. As a sophomore, he had 75 catches for 804 yards and was second-team all-Conference USA.
But he left Western Kentucky after two games as a junior for what he said were personal reasons, then finished his career at Ole Miss. Pearson had 26 catches for 392 yards with the Rebels.
He made the athletic director’s honor roll at Mississippi, and Pearson said he is just a semester away from getting his master’s degree in sports recreation and administration after getting his bachelor’s degree in that field at Western Kentucky.
But for now, his mind is on football. He had a tryout with the New York Giants last year but was not signed. He said he is extremely grateful for a chance to show what he can do in the XFL.
“It gives people like me a chance to show what they can do without having to go to Canada or overseas to play American football in the NFL offseason,” Pearson said. “It’s a chance to show the NFL they might have missed out on something. I feel like it’s a great opportunity for any player that’s in my position.”
Pearson took immediate advantage of the opportunity, catching 12 passes for 95 yards in the Sea Dragons’ opener. The next week, he showed off his speed on a 54-yard touchdown reception.
“I’ve done some of the stuff I came here for, but the crazy thing is I feel like I’ve left a lot out there on the field as well,” Pearson said. “I feel like I’m going to keep getting better each and every week.”
If that happens, both of his goals might be attainable.
“The ultimate goal is to win an XFL championship and then personally, to be signed by an NFL team and to have whatever stats I need to have to do that.”