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Baylor guard Danny Watkins is one of the best stories in the draft. He never played football as a kid. He went to college in the United States to take firefighter course, and the rest is history.
Q)Tell us your story?
Watkins: After high school, I started at a fire department, that’s what I wanted to do. I did that for four years and after I moved to a school in California to advance my career as a firefighter. I talked to the football coach at Butte (College) and after two years of playing football I enrolled at Baylor for two seasons and things have taken off.
Q)How old are you?
Watkins: I’m 26.
Q)Do you think your age will hurt you in the evaluation process?
Watkins: Well I don’t have arthritis so… (laughs). I feel pretty good. I was one of the first guys out of my physical. I’m a little more mature than the other guys. I don’t think it’s a negative.
Q)Where were you a firefighter?
Watkins: British Columbia
Q)Do you miss firefighting?
Watkins: I do. I miss the guys. But I get the same satisfaction from working with football. Working with the same guys day in and day out.
Q)Did hockey help prepare you for football?
Watkins: I think a lot of it did. A lot of knee bend. The way you put your feet in the run game is similar to skating. Obviously moving backwards in hockey was very natural to me and in pass protection. A lot has been able to carry over to my benefit.
Q)What sports did you play in high school?
Watkins: I played hockey and rugby in high school – those were the sports to play. Never really watched football,I watched the Canucks and that was it.
Q)Did you follow the CFL?
Watkins: Well the CFL Highlights were on after the Canucks games so I’d stay tuned and watch that to see who won. Growing up I was a true,Canadian hockey kid. There was a TV show growing up called Hockey Night in Canada, I loved it. That’s what you did growing up.
Q)Did you ever consider the NHL as a possibility?
Watkins: When you’re 270 lbs. in the 12th grade, there weren’t many players in the NHL that size.
I always grew up playing competitive sports and there wasn’t a hockey rink within [miles] of Butte, so I figured I’d give [football] a try.
Q)How’d you end up in Waco at Baylor?
Watkins: I took a bunch of recruiting trips. I met with Coach Briles and (center) JD Walton and some of the other guys and liked them right away and thought that was the right place for me.
Q)With Jason Smith going second overall two years ago and JD Walton being a second rounder last year and you have a chance to be a first or second round guy, what do you think this says about Baylor’s offensive line?
Watkins: I think Baylor will be known for putting out offensive linemen. Goes to show you the recruiting they’re doing, the guys they get in, and the program they’re running – definitely good to follow in Jason and JD’s footsteps.
Q)What do you think about moving inside to guard?
Watkins: I moved inside at the Senior Bowl and if felt pretty good. Teams ask where I want to play and I tell them wherever you feel I best help the team.