‘I know I’m equal to those guys.’ Southern Miss’ Quez Watkins awaits NFL Draft call.
Although the coronavirus will change the way the NFL Draft looks this year, it won’t change the fact that the lives of former college football players will be altered forever.
Even if their names are called from NFL commissioner Robert Goodell’s basement.
One player hoping to hear his name called is former Southern Miss wide receiver Quez Watkins.
“In the last two or three days I’ve had people ask me how I feel. Right now I really don’t know” Watkins told the Sun Herald. “I don’t try to get too high or low. I’m trying to stay patient and wait.”
As a junior, Watkins decided to forgo his senior year to declare for the draft. He left Southern Miss as second all-time in receiving yards and led Conference USA receivers last season with 1,165 yards with five touchdowns on 55 catches.
“My goal was to put up the numbers that I did and leave early,” Watkins said. “After this season, I talked with both my parents, my coaches and everyone. I felt like I was ready to go and it was time for me to take my talents to the next level.”
Watkins said that before he made the decision he reached out to former Southern Miss players who have made it to the NFL level like San Francisco 49ers QB Nick Mullens, Houston Texans corner Cornell Armstrong and 49ers defensive back Tarvarius Moore.
“I was really trying to get down to basics and see how they did it,” Watkins said. “And I talked to people who didn’t make it. I wanted to learn from other people — how the system works and how everything goes.”
The Combine
Watkins was invited to the NFL Combine at the end of February where he was tested alongside the best players in college football.
“It was good to size up and compare everyone, and see everybody live and in-person,” he said. “I wanted to see If there was a big difference between them and me. I didn’t see that.”
The former Golden Eagle ran a 4.35 40-yard dash to finish second among the wide receivers, trailing only Alabama’s Henry Ruggs.
Watkins ran a 4.36 in the 20-yard shuttle, 11th-best among wide receivers. He also had a vertical jump of 36.5 inches and 125 inches on his broad jump.
NFL analyst Lance Zierlein said after the combine that Watkins could go in the 4th or 5th round, but said that the 6-foot, 185-pound receiver would have to rise to the competition.
Watkins’ strong showing at the combine has only added more fuel to the fire.
“It just made me more competitive. I know I’m equal to these guys,” Watkins said. “They were just at bigger schools, better opportunities and in better situations. I feel like I compare with anyone. When the time comes we’ll be on the same level and really show what we got.”
Watkins said that a majority of the combine he kept focused and to himself, but did make friends with a few of the receivers. There was also one quarterback he really connected with while in Indianapolis — former Oklahoma and Alabama QB Jalen Hurts.
Before the combine to two started working out together and have gotten closer after the combine. Watkins, who is an Athens, Alabama native, said the two still talk and Facetime regularly.
“He’s a competitive guy and people doubt what he can do,” Watkins said. “It’s something we have in common. People doubt us and how we can perform. He went to Alabama and I’m from Alabama.”
Preparing during a pandemic
Watkins originally went to Atlanta after his decision to declare for the draft, but the new coronavirus changed those plans.
“I had to leave Atlanta because it’s getting bad,” Watkins said. “It’s worse there than Hattiesburg. The only thing in Hattiesburg I can find is a ballfield or something like that.”
He couldn’t work out on campus, in the weight room or at the ballfields at Southern Miss. So he had to start getting creative.
“I had to use parks to throw and run around and work on my craft,” Watkins said. “I had to start doing home workouts. I’d put my feet up on the coffee table, really just trying to use any and everything I got. Every part of it is a weight room now.”
Watkins said he’s seen the reports of the possibility of pushing back football season if the pandemic continues to impact the United States into the fall. He hopes that won’t be the case if he’s on an NFL roster.
“I don’t want my first year in the NFL to play four or five games to just shut the season down,” Watkins said. “I’m just really wanting to see how they’re going to make this work and the ins and outs of it.”
But adversity is something he isn’t a stranger to. For him that was one of the biggest lessons he learned during his time as a Golden Eagle.
“We talked about that day to day and throughout my time at Southern Miss,” Watkins said. “We talked about how you react to adversity and how you come back stronger. You have to adapt to situations and overcome adversity and that’s what I did in my time there.”
The Draft
The coronavirus won’t keep Watkins from having a small group with his family and girlfriend by his side while he waits to see if he will get the life-changing phone call.
“It would mean everything, All the hard work I’ve put in, but the hard work won’t be done.” Watkins said. “I’ll try to enjoy the moment and know that the work towards this is done, the ball is in their court. Now it’s up to God and his plan.”
This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 2:58 PM.