Ricky Watters
Encyclopedia
Richard "Ricky" James Watters (born April 7, 1969) is a former American football
running back
who played for the San Francisco 49ers
, Philadelphia Eagles
, and the Seattle Seahawks
of the National Football League
. Watters played college football
at the University of Notre Dame
where he played wide receiver
on the school's 1988 national champion team. He also won a Super Bowl
as a member of the 1994 San Francisco 49ers. Watters was known throughout his playing career for his outstanding receiving skills and his unique high-step running style, which earned him the nickname Ricky "Running" Watters, from ESPN
sportcaster Chris Berman.
Currently Watters is a motivational speaker for kids who, like himself, are adopted. He is also a recording artist, music producer, President and CEO of Tigero Entertainment and an author, having written the book, For Who For What, a Warrior’s Journey.
, where he was a four year letterman in football. He played pewee, pony, and varsity grade school football for Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament(OLBS) Golden Gales.
's second recruiting class. The class was Notre Dame's second consecutive top 10 recruiting class, following on the heels of the '86 class which included star quarterback
Tony Rice
. Watters began the season backing up Mark Green and occasionally returning kickoffs. Behind Rice and an infusion of new talent, the team went 8-4 and appeared in the Cotton Bowl Classic against Texas A&M
.
winner Tim Brown, Holtz moved Watters to Brown's flanker position for the 1988 season to ignite the Irish passing attack. The move paid dividends as Watters led the team in receiving. Watters' contribution on special teams was equally impressive as he returned two punts for touchdowns.
for disciplinary reasons. Playing their biggest road game of the season against the #2 ranked Trojans without their leading receiver and rusher, Notre Dame pulled out a convincing 27-10 victory.
34-21 in the Fiesta Bowl
to secure the school's 11th national championship. With six All-Americans, the team cemented its place as one of the greatest teams in the history of college football.
27-10 in their regular season finale. The Irish concluded the season with a convincing 21-6 win over #1 ranked Colorado
in the Orange Bowl, and finished the year ranked #2 behind Miami. For the season, Watters finished second on the team in rushing behind quarterback Tony Rice.
, but sat out the entire 1991 season
with injuries. He started at running back for the 49ers during the next three seasons and San Francisco's offense led the NFL in scoring and yardage each year. The 49ers reached the NFC Championship Game
in 1992 and 1993, falling both times to the Dallas Cowboys
, before finally vanquishing Dallas in the 1994 NFC title game on their way to a Super Bowl championship. In a January 1994 divisional playoff
, Watters set an NFL postseason record with five rushing touchdowns in the game, as the 49ers trounced the New York Giants
44-3. In Super Bowl XXIX
the following season, Watters scored three touchdowns in San Francisco's 49-26 victory over the San Diego Chargers
, tying a Super Bowl mark shared by fellow 49ers Roger Craig and Jerry Rice
, and later matched by Terrell Davis
of the Denver Broncos
.
Watters joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 1995 as a free agent
. He gained notoriety in Philadelphia for his infamous line "For who? For what?" after his first game as an Eagle on September 3, 1995 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, when he "short armed" a pass to avoid contact in a 21-6 loss. But he quickly established himself as a very productive player for the Eagles and helped Philadelphia get to the playoffs in 1995 and 1996. In 1998, Watters joined the Seahawks and played with them until his retirement in 2001. He finished his professional career with 10,643 yards rushing and 4,248 yards receiving and 91 total touchdowns in regular season play. As of the 2007 NFL season
, Watters is the only NFL running back to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season for three different teams. Watters was on the ballot along with Terrell Davis
, former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue
, and others for the February 3, 2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame
selections.
On a 2008 episode of NFL Top 10
, a documentary
series produced by the NFL Network
, Watters was ranked #7 out of the top 10 players yet to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Despite his 5 Pro Bowl
selections and his high rankings in total rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns, criticism of his lack of professional demeanor was cited by voters as a primary reason for his failure to be inducted. In particular, he was considered to be a "loud mouth" by some critics, who argued it overshadowed his on-the-field accomplishments. Others interviewed said his behavior was no different than other inductees, in particular, Joe Namath and Lawrence Taylor. The "For Who, For What?" incident is considered by former voters as a defining moment that could hurt his chances, as one Hall of Fame voter said that it would be brought up as a negative by someone whenever Watters' name came up in the future. Another explanation of why he has not yet been voted into the Hall was that despite scoring three touchdowns in Super Bowl XXIX, his achievement was overshadowed by the play of Steve Young, who threw for six touchdowns and won MVP honors.
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...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who played for the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
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...
. Watters 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 the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
where he played wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
on the school's 1988 national champion team. He also won a Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
as a member of the 1994 San Francisco 49ers. Watters was known throughout his playing career for his outstanding receiving skills and his unique high-step running style, which earned him the nickname Ricky "Running" Watters, from ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
sportcaster Chris Berman.
Currently Watters is a motivational speaker for kids who, like himself, are adopted. He is also a recording artist, music producer, President and CEO of Tigero Entertainment and an author, having written the book, For Who For What, a Warrior’s Journey.
High school years
Watters attended Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, where he was a four year letterman in football. He played pewee, pony, and varsity grade school football for Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament(OLBS) Golden Gales.
Recruitment and 1987 season
Watters arrived at Notre Dame in 1987 as a highly touted member of head coach Lou HoltzLou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
's second recruiting class. The class was Notre Dame's second consecutive top 10 recruiting class, following on the heels of the '86 class which included star 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...
Tony Rice
Tony Rice (football)
Tony Rice is a former professional American football player, playing quarterback in the Canadian Football League and World League of American Football. Rice is perhaps best remembered as the dynamic option quarterback of the University of Notre Dame's 1988 National Championship Team under coach...
. Watters began the season backing up Mark Green and occasionally returning kickoffs. Behind Rice and an infusion of new talent, the team went 8-4 and appeared in the Cotton Bowl Classic against Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
.
1988 national championship season
Following the departure of Heisman TrophyHeisman 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...
winner Tim Brown, Holtz moved Watters to Brown's flanker position for the 1988 season to ignite the Irish passing attack. The move paid dividends as Watters led the team in receiving. Watters' contribution on special teams was equally impressive as he returned two punts for touchdowns.
Suspension against USC
Before the annual Notre Dame-USC game, Holtz suspended Watters and running back Tony BrooksTony Brooks
Charles Anthony Standish Brooks is a British former racing driver from England also known as the "racing dentist"...
for disciplinary reasons. Playing their biggest road game of the season against the #2 ranked Trojans without their leading receiver and rusher, Notre Dame pulled out a convincing 27-10 victory.
Fiesta Bowl
In a memorable season filled with victories over ranked opponents, Notre Dame defeated the #3 ranked West VirginiaWest Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
34-21 in the Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
to secure the school's 11th national championship. With six All-Americans, the team cemented its place as one of the greatest teams in the history of college football.
1989 season
1989 would again see Notre Dame contending for the national championship. With teammate Tony Brooks suspended for the season for academic reasons, Holtz switched Watters back to tailback. Watters did not disappoint as Notre Dame spent 13 weeks ranked #1 before losing to MiamiMiami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
27-10 in their regular season finale. The Irish concluded the season with a convincing 21-6 win over #1 ranked Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
in the Orange Bowl, and finished the year ranked #2 behind Miami. For the season, Watters finished second on the team in rushing behind quarterback Tony Rice.
NFL career
Watters played for ten seasons in the NFL with San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Seattle. He was selected by San Francisco in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft1991 NFL Draft
The 1991 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 21–22, 1991 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan, New York...
, but sat out the entire 1991 season
1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
with injuries. He started at running back for the 49ers during the next three seasons and San Francisco's offense led the NFL in scoring and yardage each year. The 49ers reached the NFC Championship Game
NFC Championship Game
The National Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two semi-final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the...
in 1992 and 1993, falling both times to the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, before finally vanquishing Dallas in the 1994 NFC title game on their way to a Super Bowl championship. In a January 1994 divisional playoff
NFL playoffs, 1993-94
The NFL playoffs following the 1993 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXVIII. Since the 1993 regular season was conducted over 18 weeks , the traditional bye week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl was removed.-Bracket:...
, Watters set an NFL postseason record with five rushing touchdowns in the game, as the 49ers trounced the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
44-3. In Super Bowl XXIX
Super Bowl XXIX
Super Bowl XXIX was an American football game played on January 29, 1995 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1994 regular season...
the following season, Watters scored three touchdowns in San Francisco's 49-26 victory over the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, tying a Super Bowl mark shared by fellow 49ers Roger Craig and Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
, and later matched by Terrell Davis
Terrell Davis
Terrell Lamar Davis is a former American football running back who played for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League from 1995 to 2001. Davis was drafted by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft. Davis is the Denver Broncos all-time leading rusher, with 7,607 rushing...
of the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Watters joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 1995 as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He gained notoriety in Philadelphia for his infamous line "For who? For what?" after his first game as an Eagle on September 3, 1995 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, when he "short armed" a pass to avoid contact in a 21-6 loss. But he quickly established himself as a very productive player for the Eagles and helped Philadelphia get to the playoffs in 1995 and 1996. In 1998, Watters joined the Seahawks and played with them until his retirement in 2001. He finished his professional career with 10,643 yards rushing and 4,248 yards receiving and 91 total touchdowns in regular season play. As of the 2007 NFL season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
, Watters is the only NFL running back to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season for three different teams. Watters was on the ballot along with Terrell Davis
Terrell Davis
Terrell Lamar Davis is a former American football running back who played for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League from 1995 to 2001. Davis was drafted by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft. Davis is the Denver Broncos all-time leading rusher, with 7,607 rushing...
, former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue
Paul Tagliabue
Paul John Tagliabue is a former Commissioner of the National Football League. He took the position in 1989 and was succeeded by Roger Goodell, who was elected to the position on August 8, 2006. Tagliabue's retirement took effect on September 1, 2006. He had previously served as a lawyer for the NFL...
, and others for the February 3, 2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
selections.
On a 2008 episode of NFL Top 10
NFL Top 10
NFL Top 10 is a documentary program produced by NFL Films for airing on the NFL Network. The host and narrator is Derrin Horton.The program counts down 10 items directly related to the players, coaches, and events of the National Football League, with former players, NFL Network personalities, and...
, a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
series produced by the NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
, Watters was ranked #7 out of the top 10 players yet to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Despite his 5 Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selections and his high rankings in total rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns, criticism of his lack of professional demeanor was cited by voters as a primary reason for his failure to be inducted. In particular, he was considered to be a "loud mouth" by some critics, who argued it overshadowed his on-the-field accomplishments. Others interviewed said his behavior was no different than other inductees, in particular, Joe Namath and Lawrence Taylor. The "For Who, For What?" incident is considered by former voters as a defining moment that could hurt his chances, as one Hall of Fame voter said that it would be brought up as a negative by someone whenever Watters' name came up in the future. Another explanation of why he has not yet been voted into the Hall was that despite scoring three touchdowns in Super Bowl XXIX, his achievement was overshadowed by the play of Steve Young, who threw for six touchdowns and won MVP honors.