Soccer. Volleyball. Track. Not to mention football. There's hardly a sport in which wide receiver Todd Watkins has not excelled. And football hasn't always been at the top of that list.
"I've played [soccer] ever since I could walk. That was my passion growing up," said the 6-3, 190-pound California senior.
He played on a premier traveling soccer team in his hometown of San Diego as a child, and wasn't very successful in getting involved with football.
"I tried to play Pop Warner when I was in elementary school with my friends, but my mom wouldn't sign the paperwork," he explained. "She said I was too small and didn't want me to get hurt. I was always a skinny little kid."
With a little prodding from his dad, Watkins did eventually get into the football scene as a freshman in high school. But it was with reluctance and Watkins admits his first three years were not entirely enjoyable.
"We were running the ball 40 times a game so up until my senior year, I only caught two balls in three years," Watkins said. "Sometimes it was really hard to stick through it.
"This was at Helix High where among his teammates were quarterback Alex Smith, who went on to become the No. 1 NFL draft pick from the University of Utah and tailback Reggie Bush, a Heisman Trophy candidate junior for USC.
Watkins brought his soccer skills to the field halfway through his high school career as a kicker. He went on to receive All-American honors as a kicker during his junior college days.
The Road to Becoming a Cougar
Maybe it was the all-about-running strategy. Or maybe it was Todd's smaller size before a growth spurt his junior year. But for whatever reason, Watkins' combination of speed and athleticism were somehow overlooked by recruiters when it came time for high school graduation.
"Out of high school, I really didn't have much of anything going for me, so I took the best offer I had," said Watkins, whose hair is styled in corn rows.
That offer was to play at the Division I-AA level at Norfolk State in Virginia. After a year of redshirting there, he returned to San Diego to play two years at Grossmont Junior College.
Grossmont is where he started to receive recognition while helping his team to a No. 3 national junior college ranking. The receiver soon drew attention from universities across the country, including BYU.
A key element to Watkins' success is the speed he brings to the field. He has been clocked at running the 40-yard dash in 4.28 seconds. This speed, combined with his size, makes him a great asset to the team, according to BYU receiver's coach Patrick Higgins.
"He has very good flat-out speed," Higgins said. "Anytime you can stretch the
field vertically, that puts a lot of pressure on
the defense."
Speed coupled with Watkins' collected approach to the game is what makes him such a quality athlete.
"He's much more organized in his thoughts, and he doesn't let emotion get in the way of what he's doing," Higgins said. "He does a good job of looking at things with a very calm perspective."
Bleeding Blue
Watkins officially became a Cougar in 2004 after declining offers from Hawai'i, Kansas State and Oregon State. One factor in the decision to play in Provo was the good atmosphere he said it offered.
"[BYU has] a wholesome environment and that's what I was looking for," Watkins said. "It's unlike any other university in the nation. I really like being different."
Watkins was also impressed with the amount of effort put forth by his fellow teammates.
"I've seen more effort and desire out of more players than I've ever seen on any team I've ever been associated with," he said. "A lot of these players that come here have wanted to come since they could talk. It's definitely a special, special kind of place."
A Plethora of Memories
Watkins said he tries to stay composed and not get agitated during intense moments. Describing himself as passionate, but not too quick to share his emotions, he said his attitude helps him on and off the field.
"I don't like to share my feelings with other people; that's just not what I'm about," Watkins said. "I like to keep myself on an even cue. I think that helps when I'm in a stressful situation."
That passion is exemplified in Watkins' recount of his first Division I collegiate catch on national television. The catch, made during the third play of last year's game against Notre Dame, went for 50 yards and set up a touchdown. Watkins said the moment was so memorable, he can still see it perfectly.
"Just knowing the ball was going to come to [me] - I was waiting for the snap and my hands were sweating and I was running as hard as I could down the field. I saw the ball coming and it was just way up there in the sky. It came down and I thought I was going to get lit up and the guy missed me and I came down with the ball ... that's one time I did get emotional," Watkins described.
Another moment frozen in time for Todd was last year's game against the University of Southern California where he not only caught a 60-yard pass for a touchdown, but also faced off against his older brother, Travis (See sidebar below).
Reach For The Top
Watkins has moved up quickly to become one of the top receivers in the country. Among other rankings, he is listed as first team All-Mountain West Conference selection and first-team All-American in pre-season polls. But those lists are nothing more than motivators for Watkins.
"When they come out with the lists and top players, I like to see who's ahead of me and I use that as fuel to drive myself," Watkins said. "I want to be the best and that drives me to want to do better - to do whatever little things I can to make myself get to the top of those lists."
In an effort to reach that top level, the wide receiver spends time watching game tapes of different teams. Among those players Watkins has admired are former USC receivers Keary Colbert and Mike Williams.
"I watched them play and I wanted to emulate them and what they did, their work ethic and how precise they were," he said. "When I was in high school and junior college, I just wanted to be like that."
Up & Coming Program
After three consecutive losing seasons and a recent revamp of the football program, the question on the minds of many is how the BYU team will perform in the approaching months. Watkins, who said he is feeling nearly 100 percent after missing spring practice because of foot surgery, is more than optimistic about the 2005 season. He noted the talents of John Beck, Curtis Brown, Fahu Tahi and Cameron Jensen as key players in a team stacked with ability.
"We have the tools to be the best team in the Mountain West," Watkins said. "When you have a group of guys like we have, there's no reason why we shouldn't be on top."
According to Watkins, the alterations in the coaching staff after the 2004 season and the changes Coach Bronco Mendenhall has implemented will be apparent on the first day.
"The effort level of everyone is at a peak level just because of the demand that Coach Mendenhall puts on each and every player," Watkins said.
Attempting to compare this year to his previous years, Watkins said the best way to describe them is just different.
"Mendenhall, it seems, is just strictly business," Watkins said. "You know what you have to get done.
'I've got these expectations for you and it's up to you,' is what Mendenhall has told Watkins.
"I mean he (Mendenhall) is going to help you, but it's up to you to make those come true," says Watkins.
Extra-mile Mom
Outside of football, Watkins deemed his mother as an integral part of his life and a support to him in whatever he does.
"She was a single parent with three kids, and everything she did and provided for us. ... she did an amazing job and she has all my respect," Watkins said.
He recalls many times when her time was spent helping him achieve his potential. One memory in particular involved additional football practice.
"I would practice kicking and I would have my mom out there shagging balls and trying her best to throw it back," Watkins said. "I could name a million things that she's done for me."
Watkins' mother, Cindy, said those kind of sacrifices are just typical things a mother does for her children.
"I would have done anything," she said. "You would scoop whale poop off the bottom of the ocean for your kids."
Cindy has a shirt with Todd's No. 1 and the word "Mom" written across the back that she will wear with pride this upcoming season. She said she enjoys seeing him get to be in the spotlight and be a part of the team.
"I obviously would brag to anyone who would listen to me," Cindy said. "He's been blessed where he is, based on the fact that he decided to go to BYU. ... I hope Todd can fill the shoes of the expectations people have for him. I hope he'll make an impact this year."
After Graduation
Watkins will graduate in recreation management with a minor in coaching following this season. A destination has not been solidified, but he has no plans to leave the game behind.
"I would like to pursue football - do anything I can to continue playing, whether professionally or coaching," he said. "I really love the game and I'd like to be involved."
THE WATKINS BOYS
On September 18, 2004 the No. 1 ranked USC Trojans arrived in Provo for the
first time to compete against BYU. The Cougars faltered that night, losing
42-10 to a team who would go on to win the national championships.
But it was more than just a battle between two teams. It was a fight
against brothers. Because on that night, wide receiver Todd, 6-3, 190, and
offensive lineman Travis Watkins, 6-3, 305, faced off against each other
for the first time in any competitive sport.
The match-up was such a big deal for their family that their father, Don,
produced T-shirts in honor of his sons. The T-shirts contained a BYU helmet
with Todd's No. 1, and a USC helmet with Travis' No. 63.
Younger brother, Todd, still deems this game against his 120-pound heftier
brother as one of the greatest highlights of his career.
"It was actually the first time we'd ever played against each other in
anything," he said. "That was probably the highlight of my career, having
my brother on the other side for the number-one team in the nation. It was
just amazing."