SEATTLE — There's a transformative memory in Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba's life that he still remembers fondly.
But, first, he wants to apologize to his mom.
"I'm sorry Mom about the living room and the house," Smith-Njigba said.
At 3 years old Smith-Njigba was gifted with his first football jersey, helmet and shoulder pads. Suited up like his idols, the excited toddler spent the rest of Christmas Day running around the house and practicing the skills that would eventually take him to the National Football League (NFL).
Even if it meant making a mess sometimes.
"I remember putting that helmet on the first time," Smith-Njigba said. "I'll never forget that."
Years later, with his skills refined, Smith-Njigba would become the first wide receiver selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. That was not a surprise at the time. Many draft pundits believed Smith-Njigba was the best receiver prospect in his class.
The surprise, however, was that the Seahawks selected the Ohio State receiver, despite already having two entrenched veterans at the position in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
"I had great examples in the room with me - Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf," Smith-Njigba said. "Those guys do a great job taking care of their body. I was able to pick their minds a little bit, ask them some questions about that and make sure I got it done."
Ask Smith-Njigba what his proudest accomplishment in his rookie season and before he mentions a highlight catch or pivotal touchdown he'll point to a simple, but often overlooked part of the game.
The rookie played all 17 regular season games.
"I want to give thanks just for making it through a whole season healthy," Smith-Njigba said. "Very proud of that. Very proud how I approach day-to-day just to stay on the field in my first season at the highest level."
But Smith-Njigba's transition to the NFL was not seamless. Through the first four games, the Seahawks rookie had just 12 catches and 62 yards. He had fewer receiving yards than second-string tight end Colby Parkinson.
At the time, the Seahawks were typically playing Smith-Njigba in three wide-receiver sets, where he had to battle Metcalf and Lockett for targets. When the Seahawks did look Smith-Njigba's way it was typically on short passes on the sidelines. His average depth of target was 3.3 yards, only slightly higher than tight end Will Dissly.
It took a bit for the Seahawks and Smith-Njigba to iron out the kinks in his role in the offense. Eventually, the heavily touted rookie carved an important niche in the offense.
Two of Smith-Njigba's biggest plays of the season happened toward the end of the year when the Seahawks needed every win to get into the postseason.
First, there was his game-winning 29-yard touchdown to lift the Seahawks over the Eagles on Monday Night Football.
The rookie's favorite catch of the season, however, came with less fanfare but still made an indelible impact on the Seahawks' postseason hopes.
With the Seahawks facing a 3rd-and-14 against the Titans late in the fourth quarter, the team needed a conversion to keep its hopes alive.
Smith-Njigba stepped in and hauled in an 18-yard grab to keep the drive alive. The Seahawks scored the game-winning touchdown later to secure an important victory in Week 16.
Seattle ended up narrowly missing the playoffs, but Smith-Njigba believes he can build upon his late-season success in 2024.
"Definitely a lot of room for improvement, but I feel like I set a good foundation to improve and be a great player in this league," Smith-Njigba said.