Jason Watkins
Encyclopedia
Jason Watkins is an American football
offensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills
of the National Football League
(NFL). He was signed by the Houston Texans
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
at Florida
.
Watkins has also played for the New York Sentinels
.
. He attended Lake Gibson High School
in Lakeland, Florida
as a junior and senior, playing football only two years and earning Class 4A all-state, all-county and all-conference first-team accolades as a senior. He participated in the 2003 Cali-Florida Bowl.
to attend the University of Florida
in Gainesville, Florida
, where played for coach Urban Meyer
's Florida Gators football
team from 2005
to 2008
. Watkins helped the Gators win two National Championships
(2006
and 2008
) as member of the offensive line that paved the way for Heisman Trophy
-winning quarterback
Tim Tebow
.
In his senior season, Watkins was named honorable mention All-Southeastern Conference
by the Associated Press
, as he produced 78 knockdowns to go with 12 touchdown-resulting blocks. He graded 81.71% and was part of a front wall that gave up just 16 sacks
. The Gators went on to capture the national title behind an offense that averaged 445.07 yards and 43.64 points per game
(* represents NFL Combine
)
after going undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft
. He was waived on September 5.
of the United Football League in 2009
' practice squad on November 24. After his contract expired following the season, he was re-signed to a future contract on January 5, 2010.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
offensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL). He was signed by the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
.
Watkins has also played for the New York Sentinels
New York Sentinels
The New York Sentinels and Hartford Colonials are a currently inactive professional American football team that played in the United Football League in its 2009 and 2010 seasons...
.
Early years
Watkins was born in New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. He attended Lake Gibson High School
Lake Gibson High School
- Athletics :Lake Gibson prides itself on having a long standing tradition of athletic achievement.Located in one of the most fertile recruiting grounds in all of college football, Lake Gibson High School football team has appeared in seven regional finals appearances and over 60 wins the past...
in Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
as a junior and senior, playing football only two years and earning Class 4A all-state, all-county and all-conference first-team accolades as a senior. He participated in the 2003 Cali-Florida Bowl.
College career
Watkins received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where played for coach Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 2005
2005 Florida Gators football team
The 2005 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2005 college football season...
to 2008
2008 Florida Gators football team
The 2008 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2008 college football season...
. Watkins helped the Gators win two National Championships
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
(2006
2007 BCS National Championship Game
The 2007 BCS National Championship Game, sponsored by Tostitos, was an American football game played at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on January 8, 2007. The BCS No. 2 Florida Gators defeated the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes, 41–14. The Buckeyes secured a spot by finishing...
and 2008
2007 BCS National Championship Game
The 2007 BCS National Championship Game, sponsored by Tostitos, was an American football game played at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on January 8, 2007. The BCS No. 2 Florida Gators defeated the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes, 41–14. The Buckeyes secured a spot by finishing...
) as member of the offensive line that paved the way for Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
-winning quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow is an American football player who is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft...
.
In his senior season, Watkins was named honorable mention All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, as he produced 78 knockdowns to go with 12 touchdown-resulting blocks. He graded 81.71% and was part of a front wall that gave up just 16 sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
. The Gators went on to capture the national title behind an offense that averaged 445.07 yards and 43.64 points per game
Pre-draft
| Pre-draft measureables | ||||||
| Ht 6 | Wt | 40-yard dash 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
20 ss 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
Broad |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-6 * | 318 lb * | 5.49 * | 5.03 * | 7.89 * | 24.5 in. * | 90.0" * |
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
)
Houston Texans
Watkins was signed on April 28, 2009 by the Houston TexansHouston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
after going undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. He was waived on September 5.
New York Sentinels
Watkins played for the New York SentinelsNew York Sentinels
The New York Sentinels and Hartford Colonials are a currently inactive professional American football team that played in the United Football League in its 2009 and 2010 seasons...
of the United Football League in 2009
Buffalo Bills
After playing in the UFL, Watkins was signed to the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
' practice squad on November 24. After his contract expired following the season, he was re-signed to a future contract on January 5, 2010.