Watson named director of player relations at FSU
Seminoles.com
Kenyatta Watson has been named director of player relations for the FSU football team, head coach Mike Norvell announced.
“Kenyatta brings a unique perspective as a former student-athlete and the parent of a current collegiate athlete,” Norvell said in his announcement last Tuesday. “His ability to understand the needs and concerns of our student-athletes is going to be a tremendous asset for our team. He has spent years investing in creating opportunities for young people, and his experience as a player, father and staff member will help guide parents of prospects through the process. Kenyatta has valuable relationships in Atlanta and is well-connected throughout Georgia, which is an important area of focus for our program.”
Watson, who was a four-year letterman at Boston College before playing for the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL, will also serve as FSU’s pro scout liaison. He helped nearly 120 student-athletes sign football scholarships from 2014-18 as director of football operations and recruiting for Grayson High School in Loganville, Ga. He has also served as game coordinator for the Under Armour Middle School All-American Game and UA Next Middle School Camp Series.
In 2017, he developed and oversaw the Coach K National Middle School Showcase for sixth through eighth graders around the country. He also has experience as director for Adidas Middle School Showcase, Rivals NextGen Showcase, MVP Middle School Showcase and Elite Talent Middle School Football Showcase. In 2010, he founded Gwinnett Chargers Football, a youth program in Gwinnett County that featured nearly 500 players by its third year.
“Florida State is a destination program,” Watson said. “With the tradition, championships and players, what more can you ask for? I look forward to being part of Florida State returning to the pinnacle of college football. I’m extremely excited to be in my role and will make an immediate impact.”
While at Boston College, Watson appeared in 40 games and made 93 receptions for 1,215 yards and five touchdowns while adding seven rushes for 110 yards and one touchdown. He also was a dominant returner, totaling 816 yards and two touchdowns on 84 punt returns and 1,436 yards on 67 kickoff returns. He led the Big East and ranked second in the NCAA with two punt return touchdowns in 1995, the same year he also ranked second in the conference in punt return yards, punt return average and kickoff return yards. His 84 career punt returns ranks second in Big East history, while his 816 punt return yards are sixth in the conference’s history and his two punt return touchdowns are ninth on the Big East’s all-time list.
Watson, a native of Deerfield Beach, Fla., earned his bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in marketing from Boston College in 1996. His wife, Janelle, played basketball at Boston College, and his son, Kenyatta II, is a defensive back at Georgia Tech.
