By Dave Johnson
W&M Athletics

During the recruiting process, Trey Watkins had his heart set on playing running back in college. That's understandable — in his final two seasons at Massaponax High in Fredericksburg, he rushed for 2,502 yards and 31 touchdowns.

It wasn't to be, and these days Watkins is a starting linebacker at William & Mary. He was the Tribe's leading tackler as a sophomore in 2019, the same year he went from walk-on to scholarship.

His days as a ball carrier are over, but Watkins still uses what his mind absorbed. Like an ex-receiver can have a smoother transition to cornerback, the same is true with a running back-turned-linebacker.

"Having played running back taught me defensively how to react to a running back," Watkins said. "It really helps having that offensive background. I can see how offenses try to get defensives aligned so they can beat them.

"Just having that that offensive knowledge has helped me as a linebacker. I can play the game fast so I'm not trying to think — I'm just going to make the play."

Trey Watkins — his first name is a combination of his parents, Terry and Ray — is no stranger to that. As a sophomore in 2019, he led the Tribe with 83 tackles. He had a career-high 12 stops, eight of them solo, in his only game last spring before an injury ended his season.

"He hasn't gotten all the accolades that some of the other linebackers in the CAA have," Tribe coach Mike London said. "He's been under the radar, but he led the team in tackles. He's very smart and knows his position well.

"He gives excellent effort. I think he has a chance to be really good, and he may end up surprising some people in the conference."

Watkins redshirted his first year in the program and was named Defensive Player of the Year on the scout team. In 2018, he played in nine games and made 21 tackles, 16 coming in his final three appearances.

After the '18 season ended, Jimmye Laycock retired and Mike London came on as his replacement. Watkins won a starting position in preseason and had 10 tackles in each of the first two games, including week two at Virginia.

The following week, Watkins was one of three walk-ons put on scholarship thanks to HEYFARL — Hundreds Each Year for a Rising Letterman. He finished the season with at least nine tackles in five games and was the only player to have a sack, a recovered fumble, and a forced fumble.

Watkins, who graduated last spring with a degree in kinesiology but has two years of eligibility remaining, knew about W&M's tradition of walk-on success. That was a big reason why he came.

"Just seeing the people whose (pictures) are on the hallways of the Laycock Football Center and hearing the stories of HEYFARL," he said, "that helped me to keep the motivation and achieve what they did."

Tribe defensive coordinator Vincent Brown saw that drive as Watkins went from role player to starter and leading tackler.

"He has grown so much over the last two years," Brown said. "He has a lot of what we call grit or dog to him. And he's gotten a really good grasp of what we're trying to do defensively as it relates to offensive philosophy."

Given that it's William & Mary, one can safely assume Watkins values the academic aspect of playing football for the Tribe.  Maybe that has something to do with both parents having Master's Degrees. He is looking to continue that family "tradition" and is now enrolled in the Master of Science in Business Analytics program within W&M's Mason School of Business.

That's a one-year program, but Watkins wants to return in 2022 for his final season of eligibility.

"I've been talking to people in the MSBA program to see if I can switch over to the MBA track," he said, referring to Master of Business Administration. "I want to take advantage of my opportunity while I'm here to get another degree or help me after football."

After the game is in his rearview mirror — hopefully after an NFL career — Watkins has plans.

"I eventually want to open my own training facility — kind of like an EXOS type of place," Watkins said. "I want it to be a place that has every sport available so people can come and train. It will also have what you need for recovery and for mental health as well.

"It won't just be a facility for athletes but for regular gym membership as well. And I want to open a restaurant. I love to cook."

That's a lot to get done. But given how far Watkins has come, doubt him at your own risk.