There was never a time when James Proche didn't believe he'd be the best wide receiver at SMU. Statistically, he achieved that goal in many facets this year.

For Proche, life in the simplest form consisted of two words -- "play" and "win." For five seasons, a redshirt year included, he made himself into the player who competed in a ton of games and helped SMU become a winning program. For the first time since 1984, the Mustangs finished with 10 wins. The team had 12 wins in 2017 and 2018 combined.

Give partial credit to Proche, who had 1,225 receiving yards, 15 touchdowns and an NCAA-best 111 receptions during his senior season. He finished his career at SMU as the all-time leader in receiving yards, receptions, receiving touchdowns and all-purpose yards.

But let's be honest. Finishing the race -- this particular race -- was one of the best chapters of his life thus far. It's a chapter where some didn't expect him to be a victor.

Five years ago, Proche was diagnosed with acute kidney failure, a sudden loss of kidney function that is manageable and reversible but, if left untreated, could lead to death. There was a time where Proche didn't know if he'd play football again, let alone make it to see 21.

"It's crazy, right?" said Proche, now 23. "Back then, I didn't know what was going to happen. I just knew I wanted to be great. I was locked into being great."

After reflecting on playing in the Boca Raton Bowl -- and scoring a touchdown on his final catch -- he's now gone from playing high school ball on Friday nights to playing college ball on Saturdays. And he's looking to next play on Sundays in the NFL.

Consider it a true testament from someone who took the necessary steps in chasing his dreams.

It was early in August 2014 when Proche found out the news. He was only four practices in on DeSoto's fall schedule when he felt weak and hit a knee. And then another knee.

Proche was helped to the sidelines. Then the training area. And then, he was taken to the local hospital. There was fatigue, abdominal pain -- and, for the first time in Proche's playing career, concern.

"One of my Achilles' heels is I think I'm Superman. I don't like to show weakness," Proche said. "But I felt vulnerable at that point. It was scary, very scary.

"I remember one night, I cried. You can only hold your emotions for so long. When your cape comes off, that's when reality hits."

After multiple tests, Proche and his family found out he had acute kidney failure. It didn't originally register for a high school senior who made staying healthy and living right a top priority.

"When the doctors told him, there was just a blank stare. We were almost in disbelief," said Tasha Seastrong, Proche's mother. "He was going through the recruiting process at the time, so he was initially distraught."

Doctors told the family that Proche's condition may have built from the combination of dehydration and the use of Aleve -- a commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug for pain relief. While considered as over-the-counter pain medicine to some, the National Kidney Foundation warns that Aleve can increase the risk of sudden kidney failure because of how it filters through the kidney.

Proche was in the hospital for seven days, which included kidney dialysis and a couple of days in intensive care. Even more painful was that Proche was sidelined from football for roughly two months.

The good news was that Proche's kidney failure was acute, meaning kidney function could return to normal with proper treatment and preparation. The better news is that Proche's kidney failure isn't chronic, which would mean kidney function could result in lifelong implications.

For the last five-plus years, Proche's levels have been stable. You won't find processed protein in his body. He watches his protein intake. Foods with phosphorus are a no-no for him, as are sodas and sweet tea. He drinks a lot of water and maintains hydration.

Proche gets checked annually, every year in July. A look at his chiseled frame -- all 6-0 and 193 pounds of it -- serves as proof of how his truly is his temple.

"I live with him, so I'm with him every day," safety Rodney Clemons said of Proche. "I see the work he puts in and all the film that he does. It's paid off, and he needs to get rewarded, which he has."

Proche was rated a three-star wide receiver out of DeSoto High School. In seven games as a senior, he caught 18 passes for 335 yards and a touchdown. He also returned 15 punts for 227 yards and a score.

Proche committed to SMU on June 4, 2014. He signed with the Mustangs on Feb. 4, 2015, and enrolled that August.

After signing with SMU, then-head coach Chad Morris spoke highly about Proche's physical ability. He then raved about Proche's mental strength. Morris has seen many young receivers who spend time overtraining in an effort to earn playing time and being a step ahead of the competition.

With Proche, Morris saw a smart player, someone who understood that honing your skills didn't necessarily mean honing your skills for hours and hours at a time. In his earlier days as SMU, Proche truly defined the adage "work smarter, not harder."

Proche was redshirted his first year in 2015, much of that being to monitor his physical situation. His first college game was on Sept. 3, 2016, a road game against North Texas. He didn't play a full game, but he contributed in a 34-21 win at Apogee Stadium.

"That game, he only played 20-something snaps," Morris said. "We really just wanted to watch him and monitor him. He wants to be the hardest-working guy, but you have to be the smartest guy out, especially in extreme conditions. His mental capability to be able to channel that in his training habits is incredible."

Fast forward to today. For his four-year career at SMU, Proche played in 50 games. He caught 301 passes for 3,949 yards and 39 touchdowns. He also returned 50 punts for 382 yards and 31 kickoffs for 615 yards.

Earlier this month, Proche was named an all-American Athletic Conference first-team selection for the second consecutive year. He was a unanimous first-team pick in a very competitive league.

Earlier this season, Memphis wide receiver Antonio Gibson, who was named the AAC Special Teams Player of the Year and a second-team AAC receiver, had a career game against SMU -- six catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns, a 97-yard rushing touchdown and a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

Gibson could have embraced all of the shine that day. Instead, he made sure to find Proche after the game to show his appreciation as a fellow receiver. In that game, Proche had 13 catches for 149 yards and a touchdown.

"I do not know him, but I just told him to keep balling," Gibson said of Proche. "I think he is a great athlete, so I had to talk to him after the game."

A few years back, Proche adopted the nickname "Channel 3." It's a television reference. People love watching good television shows. He believes the product he puts on the field is a good show.

The degrees of separation make sense.

"My football number is No. 3, and whenever I'm on the field, I want to put on the best show," he said. "Tune in."

Playing through adversity is something Proche has trained himself to do since he was in high school. One of his all-time favorites is Kobe Bryant, and he loves telling the story of watching Kobe shine with an injured hand.

"Kobe fractured his hand, so he had to play with his left," Proche said. "He had no weaknesses in his game. I take that mentality when I work on my game."

This explains why Proche is one of the best in college football in making miraculous, one-handed catches look elementary. It also explains how he can consistently produce the tiptoe catch originally ruled incomplete that will eventually be overturned upon review.

His game-winning catch in the Oct. 19 triple-overtime win against Tulsa ranks as one of the best of 2019 in the entire AAC -- and, perhaps, the most memorable play of the season for the Mustangs.

"If I catch the ball, it's in," Proche said. "I always feel like it's in."

SMU coach Sonny Dykes has coached a lot of talented wide receivers in his 20-plus years. He's watched Proche emerge into a leader on the team, as well as the most prolific receiver in the AAC. Proche has 24 more receptions than the No. 2 receiver in the conference, Temple's Jadan Blue. He has three more receiving touchdowns than the No. 2, UCF's Gabriel Davis.

Nationally, he can finish as the NCAA's leader in receptions this season if Texas' Devin Duvernay doesn't have nine catches in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 31. Proche currently ranks third in receiving touchdowns behind LSU's Ja'Marr Chase (18) and Arkansas State's Omar Bayless. He also ranks third in average receptions per game (8.5) behind Pittsburgh's Maurice Ffrench (8.7) and Duvernay (8.6), and he ranks sixth in receiving yards.

There's so much that can be said about Proche. The biggest question: Can Proche be a successful pro?

"He certainly ranks up there," Dykes said. "People get caught up in all the measurables, but football is about performing.

"One thing you know is on Saturdays, James Proche is going to show up, and he's going to perform at a high level. He's going to compete hard, and that's about the biggest compliment you can give a football player."

We now all wait to see what happens next with Proche the football player, but what we know is that Proche the person has made it this far.

Even when some doubted it could happen.

"The dreams of the NFL are so real to me," he said, "but I'm just so blessed to be in the position I'm in. I could be in such a worse-off position. But I also know there's so much more I can do."