Former Clemson star Sammy Watkins can't wait for campus return, wants to stick around with program |
Sammy Watkins will be inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame with his former teammate and current Tiger assistant
Tajh Boyd this fall.
When he's back on campus, he wants to give his family a long look at the school and spend some more time as a fan -- and maybe even as a coach down the road. Watkins' renewed Clemson interest was sparked with a surprise from his former coach Dabo Swinney recently. "He's like, 'I've got a gift for ya.' I'm like, 'Ok, can't wait to hear it,'" Watkins said on the Mickey Plyler Show. "(Swinney said), 'You're welcoming Tajh Boyd to the Hall of Fame.' I was like that's awesome, but in the back of my head, I'm like, 'Man, why I ain't getting in the Hall of Fame?' That's how I was thinking, but during the process of giving Tajh Boyd his flowers and telling him thank you and welcoming him in the hall of fame -- Coach Swinney goes on, and he's talking, and then I'm sitting there, and then (Swinney) goes, 'Sammy Watkins, we welcome you into the hall of fame.' I was like oh my God -- you kinda got me there because I was definitely asking coach why I'm not in there...He kinda shocked me...It felt really good... "I was on a high for like two weeks like I won another Super Bowl. It was an amazing feeling." Teammates, champions, and now... Hall of Famers. Watkins was picked No. 4 overall by the Buffalo Bills in 2014 after two-first team All-America honors in his time at Clemson, leaving first in school history in receptions, first in receptions per game (6.7), first in receiving yards (3,391), first in receiving yards per game (94.2), first in 100-yard receiving games (15), tied for first in receiving touchdowns (27), second in all-purpose yards (5,129), and fifth in kickoff return yards (1,376). After a career that included that aforementioned Super Bowl ring with Kansas City, he has not been in the league since 2022. He hasn't formally retired but said Wednesday that he "might be done" with the NFL. He will be back in Clemson this fall for the hall of fame induction, and he wants his family to take some extra time to check out campus—maybe in prep for a student coaching stint while finishing his degree. In the radio interview, Watkins gave out his wife's Instagram handle to try to get some help from Tiger fans to convince her. "I've been trying to influence my wife to allow me to come back and finish school and do a little bit of coaching," Watkins said. "But she's kinda scared of that and doesn't want me to get locked in with it. I'm definitely going to be back to watch a couple games, and I can't wait to get back and see how much it's changed. I've heard that Clemson has done a whole 360 with how it looks and way more students, so I can't wait to get that fan perspective than the player perspective." Watkins could be welcomed back in the Tiger Trust program that allows former athletes to come back and finish their degrees and pitch in on the coaching side while back on campus. Former standout running back James Davis is a recent prominent example of using that program.
Congratulations to @TajhB10 and @sammywatkins on being selected to the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame. #ALLIN pic.twitter.com/jFVe0T0pXo
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