Sammy Watkins facts for kids
Watkins with the Buffalo Bills in 2015
|
|||||||
| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | June 14, 1993 Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. |
||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 211 lb (96 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | South Fort Myers | ||||||
| College: | Clemson (2011–2013) | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
|
|||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
|
|||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
|
|||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Sammy Watkins (born June 14, 1993) is a former professional football player. He was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Clemson Tigers. There, he was named an All-American twice. The Buffalo Bills picked Watkins fourth overall in the 2014 NFL draft. He also played for the Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Green Bay Packers. Watkins won a Super Bowl championship with the Chiefs.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Sammy Watkins grew up in Fort Myers, Florida. He went to South Fort Myers High School. He was a talented athlete in football, basketball, and track & field. In football, he became the best receiver in Lee County history. He caught 133 passes for 2,997 yards and 36 touchdowns.
As a sophomore, he had 33 catches for 537 yards and 10 touchdowns. In his junior and senior years, he was chosen for the all-state team. During his junior year, he caught 46 passes for 1,192 yards and 14 touchdowns. In his senior year, Watkins had eight games with over 100 receiving yards. He finished with 54 catches for 1,268 yards and 12 touchdowns. He helped his team have an undefeated season.
Track and Field Success
Watkins was also a top sprinter in track and field. As a junior, he placed fifth in the 100 meters and sixth in the 200 meters at the state meet. In his senior year, he won the state title in the 200 meters. He also won the 100 meters at the 2011 Tarpon Invitational.
Choosing a College Team
Before the 2011 college football season, Watkins was a highly sought-after player. Many colleges wanted him to play for them. He was considered one of the best wide receiver prospects in the country. In November 2010, Watkins decided to play for Clemson University. He chose Clemson over offers from many other big schools.
College Football Career
Sammy Watkins made a big impact right away at Clemson in 2011. Even though he didn't practice with the team in the spring, he had an amazing freshman season. He caught 82 passes for 1,219 yards and 12 touchdowns. This included a game where he had 10 catches, 155 yards, and two touchdowns. He led the nation in receiving yards per game and touchdowns.
Watkins broke 11 school records for freshmen. He was named a first-team All-American. This was a rare honor for a true freshman.
In 2012, his sophomore year, he had 57 catches for 708 yards and three touchdowns. As a junior in 2013, he had 101 catches for 1,464 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was named the MVP of the 2014 Orange Bowl. In that game, he set an Orange Bowl record with 16 catches for 227 yards. He also set a new school record for career receptions with 240.
In January 2014, Watkins decided to leave college early. He entered the 2014 NFL draft to become a professional player.
College Statistics
| Season | Team | GP | Receiving | Rushing | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | |||
| 2011 | Clemson | 13 | 82 | 1,219 | 14.9 | 12 | 32 | 231 | 7.2 | 0 |
| 2012 | Clemson | 10 | 57 | 708 | 12.4 | 3 | 14 | 97 | 6.9 | 1 |
| 2013 | Clemson | 13 | 101 | 1,464 | 14.5 | 12 | 6 | 11 | 1.8 | 0 |
| Career | 36 | 240 | 3,391 | 14.1 | 27 | 52 | 339 | 6.5 | 1 | |
| Source: sports-reference.com | ||||||||||
Professional Football Career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0+3⁄4 in (1.85 m) |
211 lb (96 kg) |
32 in (0.81 m) |
9+5⁄8 in (0.24 m) |
4.43 s | 1.54 s | 2.52 s | 4.34 s | 6.95 s | 34 in (0.86 m) |
10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) |
16 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
Buffalo Bills Years (2014–2016)
The Buffalo Bills chose Sammy Watkins as the fourth overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft. This was a very high pick for a wide receiver. On May 28, 2014, Watkins signed his first professional contract. It was a four-year deal worth nearly $20 million.
2014 Season Highlights
Watkins caught his first career touchdown in a game against the Miami Dolphins. In Week 7, he had a great game against the Minnesota Vikings. He caught nine passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns. His second touchdown was the winning score with only one second left in the game. Watkins set new Bills rookie records for receptions (65) and receiving yards (982). He also caught six touchdown passes.
2015 Season Challenges and Success
At the start of the 2015 season, Watkins faced some challenges. He missed games due to a calf injury. He also had a moment where he expressed frustration on social media. He later clarified that his comments were not meant for all fans.
Despite the early challenges, Watkins had a fantastic second half of the season. In Week 9, he had a career-high 168 receiving yards and one touchdown against the Dolphins. In his final six games, he gained 679 receiving yards and scored six touchdowns. He finished the season with 60 catches for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns. This was his best season for receiving yards and touchdowns.
2016 Season and Injury
In May 2016, Watkins broke a small bone in his foot. He had surgery to fix it. He was placed on injured reserve in September but returned to play in November. Watkins finished the 2016 season with 28 catches for 430 yards and two touchdowns. In May 2017, the Bills decided not to extend his contract for another year.
Los Angeles Rams (2017)
On August 11, 2017, Watkins was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. He quickly made an impact with his new team. In Week 3, he scored his first touchdown with the Rams. He had 106 receiving yards in that game. In Week 9, he caught a long 67-yard pass for a touchdown. This helped the Rams win big against the New York Giants. Watkins finished the 2017 season with 39 catches for 593 yards and eight touchdowns.
Kansas City Chiefs (2018–2020)
On March 15, 2018, Watkins signed a three-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. He had a strong start with the Chiefs. In Week 2, he caught six passes for 100 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In Week 8, he had eight catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the 2018 season with 40 catches for 519 yards and three touchdowns. In the playoffs, he had good performances, including 114 yards in the AFC Championship game.
Super Bowl Champion
On September 8, 2019, Watkins had an amazing game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He caught nine passes for a career-high 198 yards and three touchdowns. This helped the Chiefs win 40–26. Watkins finished the 2019 season with 52 catches for 673 yards and three touchdowns.
In the AFC Championship against the Tennessee Titans, he had seven catches for 114 yards and a touchdown. The Chiefs won that game. Watkins then played in Super Bowl LIV against the San Francisco 49ers. He caught five passes for 98 yards. This included a key 38-yard catch during the drive that won the game for the Chiefs. The Chiefs won the Super Bowl 31–20, making Watkins a Super Bowl champion.
In 2020, Watkins finished the season with 37 catches for 421 yards and two touchdowns.
Baltimore Ravens (First Time: 2021)
On April 2, 2021, Watkins signed a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens. His best game was in Week 1, where he had four catches for 96 yards. He missed some games due to injury. He scored his only touchdown of the season in Week 13. He finished the year with 27 catches for 394 yards and one touchdown.
Green Bay Packers (2022)
On April 14, 2022, Watkins signed a one-year contract with the Green Bay Packers. He was placed on injured reserve in September but returned to play in October. He was released by the Packers in December 2022.
Baltimore Ravens (Second Time: 2022)
On December 20, 2022, Watkins was picked up by the Ravens again. He joined them after another player, Devin Duvernay, was injured.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2014 | BUF | 16 | 16 | 65 | 982 | 15.1 | 84 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 2015 | BUF | 13 | 13 | 60 | 1,047 | 17.5 | 63 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | BUF | 8 | 8 | 28 | 430 | 15.4 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | LAR | 15 | 14 | 39 | 593 | 15.2 | 67 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | KC | 10 | 9 | 40 | 519 | 13.0 | 50 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | KC | 14 | 13 | 52 | 673 | 12.9 | 68T | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 2020 | KC | 10 | 9 | 37 | 421 | 11.4 | 37 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021 | BAL | 13 | 9 | 27 | 394 | 14.6 | 49 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 | GB | 9 | 3 | 13 | 206 | 15.8 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| BAL | 3 | 2 | 3 | 119 | 39.7 | 47 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Career | 111 | 96 | 364 | 5,384 | 14.8 | 84 | 34 | 7 | 5 | |
Postseason Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2017 | LAR | 1 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | KC | 2 | 2 | 10 | 176 | 17.6 | 54 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | KC | 3 | 3 | 14 | 288 | 20.6 | 60 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | KC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | BAL | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 8 | 7 | 27 | 512 | 19.0 | 60 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
Personal Life
Sammy Watkins has three daughters. His older half-brother, Jaylen Watkins, also played professional football as a defensive back. Sammy and Jaylen were both chosen in the 2014 NFL draft. Another cousin, Austin Watkins Jr., is also a wide receiver.
In May 2012, while in college, Watkins faced a challenge off the field that led to a suspension for two games. He completed a program that helped clear the issue from his record.
On July 11, 2014, Watkins received the Key to the City of Fort Myers. This was an honor from his hometown. In a May 2020 interview, Watkins spoke about facing personal challenges and focusing on his well-being.
See also
In Spanish: Sammy Watkins para niños
