Jaylen Watkins
| No. 27 – Los Angeles Chargers | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: |
November 27, 1991 Fort Myers, Florida | ||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 194 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: |
Cape Coral (Cape Coral, Florida) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Florida | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2014 / Round: 4 / Pick: 101 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||
| Roster status: | Injured reserve | ||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2018 | |||||||||||||
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Jaylen Watkins (born November 27, 1991) is an American football safety for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Florida. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
High school
A native of Cape Coral, Florida, Watkins attended Cape Coral High School. He played quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back at Cape Coral, leading his team to an 11-1 record in his senior season, advancing to the FHSAA 4A Regional semifinals. He passed for 1,230 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior and rushed for 928 yards with 10 touchdowns. He also had 29 receptions for 461 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran track at Cape Coral and advanced to the 4A Track Championships in the 4x100 relay. He was selected to play in the 2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.[1]
Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, he was rated as the fourth best cornerback prospect in his class.[2]
College career
Watkins attended the University of Florida from 2010 to 2013. He appeared in 48 games, with 28 starts, at both cornerback and safety. He primarily played special teams as a freshman, before earning an increased role in the defense as a sophomore and throughout his tenure at Florida. During his career, he accumulated 133 tackles, including four for loss, 21 pass breakups and three interceptions.
Professional career
Philadelphia Eagles
Watkins was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round (101st overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft.[3][4]
On September 5, 2015, Watkins was released by the Eagles.[5]
Buffalo Bills
On September 7, 2015, Watkins was signed to the Buffalo Bills' practice squad and practiced with his brother Sammy Watkins.[6]
Philadelphia Eagles (second stint)
On November 27, 2015, Watkins was re-signed by the Eagles off the Bills' practice squad.[7]
On March 4, 2017, Watkins signed a one-year extension with the Eagles.[8] Watkins won his first Super Bowl ring when the Eagles defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
Los Angeles Chargers
On March 30, 2018, Watkins signed a one year contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.[9] In the Chargers' second preseason game, Watkins suffered a torn ACL and was placed on injured reserve on August 19, 2018.[10]
Personal life
He is the older half-brother of Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins.[11][12]
References
- ↑ Pipitone, Michael (November 10, 2009). "Gators commit will play in U.S. Army All-American Bowl". The Independent Florida Alligator. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ↑ "Jaylen Watkins". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ↑ Maaddi, Rob (May 10, 2014). "Eagles select DB Jaylen Watkins in fourth round". USA Today. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ↑ Kaye, Mike (May 10, 2014). "NFL Draft Results: Jaylen Watkins to Philadelphia Eagles with No. 101 Pick". Bleeding Green Nation. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ↑ Gowton, Brandon Lee (September 5, 2015). "Philadelphia Eagles Roster Cuts 2015: Team officially trims down to 52 players". BleedingGreenNation.com. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
- ↑ "Bills add Andre Fluellen to 53-man roster; Five added to practice squad". BuffaloBills.com. September 7, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ↑ Gowton, Brandon Lee (November 27, 2015). "Eagles sign Jaylen Watkins away from Bills, place Nolan Carroll on injured reserve". BleedingGreenNation.com. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
- ↑ Spadaro, Dave (March 4, 2017). "Jaylen Watkins Agrees To One-Year Deal". PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
- ↑ Henne, Ricky (March 30, 2018). "Chargers Agree to Terms with Versatile DB Jaylen Watkins". Chargers.com.
- ↑ Henne, Ricky (August 19, 2018). "Chargers Add Safety Micah Hannemann Off Waivers". Chargers.com.
- ↑ Dougherty, Jesse (October 4, 2013). "Brothers Sammy, Jaylen Watkins share powerful bond through stardom". The Daily Orange. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ↑ Heilman, Phillip (October 28, 2013). "Big-brother influence: Florida safety Jaylen Watkins has been a guiding influence for the Gators' young defenders". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved May 10, 2014.