The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/262939
PERSONAL Brandon Kyle Watson was born July 11, 1995 … Has run a 4.45 40-yard dash, clocked at the Tennessee camp over the summer … Hails from the same school as incoming freshman receiver Freddy Canteen, his roommate at Michigan, and former five-star defensive tackle Kenny Bigelow, now at USC … Per coach Dwayne Thomas, the school has sent 29 players to Division I in the last four years … En- rolled at Michigan this January and will be able to participate in spring practice. STATISTICS Senior Season: Maryland Media first-team Private School All-State selection BRANDON WATSON CORNERBACK 5-11 • 185 EASTERN CHRISTIAN ACAD. ELKTON, MD. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 60 20 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 52 22 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 64 20 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 41 8 he is today. Not surprisingly, Wat- son was as relentless a defender on the basketball court as he was in the defensive backfield. He's "very, very physical at the line of scrimmage," Thomas noted, and when he does get beat, he has the ability to make up for it with his athletic ability. His competitiveness is what drove him to enroll early. He's not happy just to have earned a spot with an elite program — he wants to make an early contribution. "I'm definitely planning to com- pete for a job in the fall," he said. "I couldn't picture somebody coming in to play college football and not want- ing to compete." That's the same attitude he takes in everything he does, Thomas noted. When he wasn't certain what to read for one of his early classes at U-M, Watson decided to read just about ev- erything on the syllabus. He's since gotten the hang of school the way he adapted to top-notch receivers he faced on Eastern Christian's national schedule. It's that maturity and willingness to go the extra mile that sent both of his players to Michigan, Thomas said, and why he believes both will be extremely successful. "Those kids don't only look at to- day — they also look at tomorrow," he said. "When you really look at Michigan and the type of university it is, you're going to be working more than you'll be playing. You've got to look at going to college for four or five years, but more important is the next 45. They both looked at it as a university that would make their lives a lot better 45 years after they played." For the next four years, though, they plan to make the university — and the football program — better by their presence. — Chris Balas