Sammy Watkins Biography, Career Stats, Injury, Age, Height, Weight

Quick Facts

Professional American football player Sammy Watkins joined the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League in 2018. He turned professional following the 2014 NFL Draft where he was selected in the first round by the Buffalo Bills as the 4th overall pick of the draft. In addition to his 3-year stint with the Bills, Sammy Watkins also had a 7-month stint with the Los Angeles Rams before joining the Kansas City Chiefs in March 2018.

Sammy Watkins’ Biography (Age)

Samuel Benjamin Watkins IV was born on June 14, 1993, in Fort Myers, Florida to Nicole McMiller and Sammy Watkins III. He schooled at South Fort Myers High School where as a three-sport athlete, he participated in football, basketball and track & field. He gained a reputation as one of the top sprinters in Florida as he won the 200 meters event at the AA state championships in his senior year. He also clinched the title for the 100 meters event at the 2011 Tarpon Invitational.

As expected, Sammy Watkins was equally a football star in high school. The talented youngster had 33 receptions for 537 yards and 10 scores in his sophomore year. He was named first-team all-state in his junior season when he recorded 46 caught passes for 1,192 yards and 14 touchdowns. In his senior year, the talented wideout accumulated 54 catches for 1,268 yards and 12 touchdowns, a performance which equally earned him first-team all-state selection.

Watkins finished his high school career on an all-time Lee county-best receiver record of 133 catches for 2,997 yards and 36 touchdowns. He equally featured in the 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Rated as a 5-star recruit, the talented football star was ranked third among wideout prospects in the United States. He eventually settled with Clemson University in November 2010.

As a freshman in 2011, he caught 82 passes for 1219 yards and 12 touchdowns. He shattered 11 Clemson Tigers freshman records in his first 7 games and equally led the nation in reception yards per game, all-purpose yards as well as touchdowns. This outstanding performance earned him a Freshman All-American designation and he equally earned an AP first-team All-American selection, becoming only the 4th true freshman in ACC history to be so honored.

Watkins continued in his top form as he had 57 receptions for 708 yards and 3 touchdowns in his sophomore season. In his junior season, he took his performance a notch higher with 101 receptions for 1,464 yards and 12 touchdowns. He led the Clemson Tigers to a victorious 2014 Orange Bowl where he set an individual Orange Bowl record with 16 receptions for 227 receiving yards and was named the game’s MVP. Watkins announced his decision to enter the 2014 NFL Draft in January 2014, forgoing his last year of college eligibility. The talented player was selected in the first round of the draft by the Buffalo Bills as the 4th overall pick, becoming the earliest wideout selected by the Bills in 10 years.

Career Stats

In his rookie season with the Buffalo Bills, Sammy Watkins recorded 65 receptions for 982 yards and 6 touchdown passes setting a new franchise rookie record in receptions and receiving yards. Though his second season (2015) with the Bills was greatly marred by a calf injury, Watkins finished the season with 60 caught passes for 1,047 yards and 9 touchdowns receptions. The talented wide receiver had five 100-yard receiving games out of a total 13 games played in that season and also set new career records in receiving yards and touchdowns.

Sammy Watkins’ injury woes returned in the 2016 season which had him feature in only 8 games and he finished the season with 28 receptions for 430 yards and 2 touchdowns. Following the expiration of his 4-year rookie deal in May 2017, he became a free agent as the Buffalo Bills did not renew his contract. Alongside a 2018 sixth-round draft selection, Sammy Watkins was traded by the Bills to the Los Angeles Ram in exchange for cornerback E. J. Gaines and a 2018 2nd round draft pick.

In his 2017 season with the Los Angeles Ram, Watkins featured in 15 games in which he recorded 39 receptions for 593 yards and 8 touchdown receptions. In March 2018, the talented wide receiver joined the Kansas City Chiefs on a 3-year deal valued at $48 million.

Injury

After an awesome rookie season with the Buffalo Bills, Sammy Watkins was plagued by a number of injuries for the few years that followed and as a result, his playing time was significantly affected. The talented player’s ability to stay fit became a major talking point following his move to the Kansas City Chiefs in March 2018. On August 6, 2018, the talented wide receiver was reportedly unable to complete the day’s practice following a minor hip injury. The hip injury dates back to his days with the Buffalo Bills for which he underwent a surgery. However, according to officials of the Chiefs, having Watkins leave practice early was only a precautionary measure and did not pose a significant setback.

Height and Other Body Measurements

Sammy Watkins stands at an impressive height of 6 feet 1 inch (185 cm). He maintains a body weight of 96 kg (211 lbs).

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