Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Damien Watts, WR, University of Central Arkansas

Every year, NFL Draft Diamonds brings our readers the best in depth interviews on the internet. We specialize in giving players an opportunity to showcase their talents on our website. We conducted interviews last year with over 300 plus players. We want you to enjoy our interviews, because when these young men are in the league, we will not be surprised, and neither should you. 

What is your name?

Damien Watts

Where do you play college football?

University of Central Arkansas

How many teams were recruiting you out of high school?

6 teams were recruiting me out of high school

How did you choose your school?

UCA was close to home and it was known for its winning traditions.

Where are you from?

I am from Texarkana Tx

Who is your role model, and why?

My father is my role model. He’s the hardest working man I know. He has inspired me to be the hardworking person I am today. Nothing has been given to me I have worked my butt off for everything.

Have any scouts met with you yet, and if so what are they saying?

No I haven’t

Did you play any other sports growing up?

I played basketball and had college offers but decided to go with football.

Did you play any other positions in football?

In high school I played DB, playing receiver made it easy to get picks if the ball was in my area.

At your position, what separates you from others?

What separates me from others is my ability to think on the go. I’m a smart receiver that knows how to get open. I know that being a receiver is simple just get open and catch the ball but me being able to stop you from stopping me makes me a valuable receiver.

When you are breaking down film, what do you look for?

I look to see the DB’s tendencies in man v.s zone. When he’s pressing is it jam or press bail. with the jam technique is he aggressive or does he let you get a release and run with you. In zone does the let you release how you want in cover 2 or is he aggressive and makes you go inside.

Who was the toughest player you ever faced?

The toughest player i have ever faced in would have to be Kendall Wright. This guy was such a freak athlete and he played everything and was good at it.

If you could compare your play to one player in the NFL who would it be and why?

I would compare myself to Stedman Bailey. he plays way bigger than his size and so do I. When people look at me they assume I’m either fast or play tailback. They would never guess that throughout my college career I played outside receiver and caught a lot of deep balls, fades and all.

What was the biggest obstacle in your life you had to overcome, and how did you overcome it?

Getting red-shirted was hard for me. Coming from being a start in high school to not being ready to play was a big ego check for me. I had to just stay focused and grind hard everyday and put my ego to the side.

Do you have any pre-game rituals?

I am actually called the quietest person on game day. I don’t talk to anyone, I just listen to my Pandora. I can’t listen to one particular artist the entire time i need a different variety.

What is your biggest strength?

I have great hands. If the ball comes my way 98% of the time its mine.  1% is the DB making a good play on the ball and the other 1% is a bad ball.

What is your biggest weakness?

I would say my size. People really under estimate my ability to go up and “moss” someone. I really like the jump ball but with me standing at about 5’10 that makes it hard for people to trust my jump ball skills.

If I were a GM and gave you a second to sell yourself, what would you say?

Determined

Who was your favorite player and NFL team growing up?

Michael Vick was my favorite player and the Denver Broncos was the team to watch.

If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would you choose?  

Martin Luther King Jr. was one brave individual. Denzel Washington is the best actor ever and has never had a bad movie. Jessica Alba who wouldn’t want to have dinner with her.