Ole Miss star WR shares how being a new father has changed him following huge SEC win over Arkansas
Ole Miss completely destroyed Arkansas on Saturday, 63-31. Jaxson Dart set nearly every record a quarterback could for a program. But that wasn't the best story that came out of the huge SEC win. It was Jordan Watkins, the wide receiver who stepped up big time, scoring five touchdowns (an Ole Miss single game record) […]
Ole Miss completely destroyed Arkansas on Saturday, 63-31. Jaxson Dart set nearly every record a quarterback could for a program. But that wasn't the best story that came out of the huge SEC win. It was Jordan Watkins, the wide receiver who stepped up big time, scoring five touchdowns (an Ole Miss single game record) becoming the story of the game, because today just meant more for him.
Why?
Watkins just became a father of a little baby girl, and for him to have the game he did meant more than it ever would have before this week. Not just because of what a five-touchdown game could mean for his future, but what it could mean for his little girl. When asked about fatherhood following his record-setting performance, Watkins shared a rather candid response on the difficulty of balancing football and fatherhood at the same time:
"Yeah, I mean the last couple weeks, they've been pretty rough. We were actually supposed to have the baby this Monday. Found out that she was going to be coming early. And then right in the middle of the week–game week–it was chaotic. But you know it's a good thing that I have my teammates around me and they were able to pick me up. And you know obviously, having the performance I did today, man, that's all because of them. And the preparation, and them sticking with me, and giving me the confidence. I'm just really blessed man to be out here with these guys."
To become a father, juggling all of that responsibility, while also prepping for one of the biggest opportunities of his life with Tre Harris on the sideline for Ole Miss, that's a lot of weight on one young man's shoulders. It speaks volumes to the character, the work ethic, and drive of Watkins that he was able to not only execute against Arkansas, but set single game records for both yards (254) and touchdowns (5) on Saturday.
Watkins went on to share just how much this game meant to him, and more importantly what it means to him as a father:
"I've always loved football since I was a kid. And this game meant a lot to me personally. But now, I think I play the game for a bigger reason other than myself. I told [Caden] Prieskorn last week, I was like, man I don't even want to put my daughter down. I really hate being away from her right now. But I know if I just know if I keep doing what I need to do on the football field things will take care of itself. And then I'll be able to make sure that she's good for the rest of her life. And that's all that matters to me, because it's bigger than me now. It's all about her."
It's amazing to see a young man speaking so excitedly and proudly about new fatherhood. Watkins is clearly a good one that Ole Miss fans everywhere can be proud of. But even if most fans don't care about Watkins' off-field life, they likely appreciated his unreal trio of deep touchdowns (on top of his two other scores).
Watkins would not take any of the credit personally for his huge performance today, crediting coaches like Lane Kiffin, his quarterback Jaxson Dart, and everyone else around him saying, "All credit goes to [the players around him] and the coaches for putting me in that [recording breaking] position."
Watkins likely won't have to put up that kind of incredible performance every week as Tre Harris is set to return soon, but it's great to know Ole Miss has another elite playmaker they can rely on moving forward. And who knows, maybe Watkins' newborn daughter can be his superpower moving forward, sparking further phenomenal play from him down the stretch as the Rebels will certainly need it if they want to make it to the College Football Playoff.
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