Florida OT Jason Watkins funnels his aggression

[cowboyjoe]

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Florida OT Jason Watkins funnels his aggression
6:10 AM Fri, Mar 27, 2009 | Permalink
Rick Gosselin E-mail News tips

Football came along at the right time in life for Florida offensive tackle Jason Watkins.

His goal in high school was to play in the NBA, not the NFL. So Watkins played basketball, not football, in his first two years as a prep in LaPlace, La. He had a powerful body back then -- and a powerful temper. So he switched sports as a junior after his family moved to Lakeland, Fla.

"I loved basketball," Watkins said. "but I was getting a lot of technical fouls. When I moved to Florida the football coach asked me to try out. So I did and I loved it. It allows me to take out my aggression without getting into trouble."

Watkins (6-6, 318) became an all-state offensive tackle as a senior at Lakeland Lake Gibson with Florida, LSU and Oklahoma all hot on his recruiting trail. He chose Florida and became the starting left tackle of the Gators his final two seasons, serving as a team captain as a senior.