Before He Played for Pay, Earl Watford

Before He Played for Pay . . . Earl Watford

This story about Gratz product Earl Watford, who made his NFL debut on
Sept. 14, 2014, for the Arizona Cardinals, appeared in the Daily News in the
fall of 2007. Earl played his college ball at James Madison University. He spent
the 2013 season on the Cardinals' roster and was activated for three games, but
did not make an onfield appearance. He kept working hard and the
patience/resolve paid off. We wish Earl and his family the best.

Earl Watford is No. 70 in this partial pic of
Gratz' seniors from the 2007 season.

Gratz' Watford Making Up for Lost Time

By Ted Silary

To watch Earl Watford play football is to marvel.

It's to watch his combination of talent and drive and think to yourself, "This guy has the look of someone who has played this sport for a mighty long time. "

And he has . . . Just not in pads.

Watford is pretty sure he was only 3 years old when he first became involved in mess-around football games, mostly with family members, at assorted playgrounds. His debut with Simon Gratz High? Not until last season.

Watford, a 6-4, 275-pound senior, stars at tackle on both sides of the ball.

"He's going to be fine," coach Erik Zipay said, referring to Watford's college possibilities. "We have great film on him. "

Yesterday's can be added to the collection.

In just three quarters of action, Watford posted a whopping 11 tackles as the Bulldogs roared past Jules Mastbaum Tech, 36-6, in a Public White game at Northeast. Two were sacks and another went for a loss. Better yet, Watford made two of his stops at the sideline.

Yes, the sideline. And not downfield, either. He rag-dolled would-be blockers, sprinted along the line of scrimmage and thumped guys to the artificial surface.

In 2012, maybe we'll hear Ron Jaworski on "Monday Night Football," saying "This Watford guy is an interesting story, Mike. He did not play football until his junior year in high school and now, here he is, drawing a paycheck and looking like he's going to be a longtime force in this league. "

So, what happened? Why did Watford get such a late in-pads start?

As a freshman, he said, he was maybe 50 pounds lighter and 3 inches shorter and decided he wanted to get larger before he took the official plunge. Before his sophomore year, he said, he suffered a summertime leg injury while playing basketball.

"I regret not being out here in ninth and 10th grade," he said. "I'd be more advanced. Even when I first came out last year, I was unsure of myself. Timid, really. It takes a lot to play football. But as time went on, I got confident and now, well, I feel like I dominate. "

He feels correctly.

"Today they were double-teaming and even triple-teaming me. Still couldn't stop me," he said.

He uttered those words in friendly, matter-of-fact fashion, and came off, somehow, as not sounding boastful at all.

Watford is receiving persistent interest from an assortment of Division I-A and I-AA schools. He can listen with eager anticipation, too, because he boasts a B-plus classroom average and has already posted a qualifying SAT score.

"Football gives you the greatest feeling. There's nothing better," he said. "It's entertaining to watch and when you play it, it's gotta be your lifestyle. You have to live it. I knew I loved football from the time I was very little.

"When you make plays, especially after running a long way, it's so exciting. Exhilarating, really! Remember, I'm a lineman, so I don't get to run around that much. I was always fast, though. Even when I was little. "

Meanwhile, this game had more than a little nuttiness.

In the first quarter there were five lost fumbles in a six-play sequence. And this was in beautiful weather, not torrential rain. The recoveries went to Gratz' Muhammad Dudley, Mastbaum's Jamil Thomas, Gratz' Elijah Akbar, Mastbaum's John Turner and Dudley again. On the play that did not produce a lost fumble, Dudley ran for a 10-yard touchdown that was wiped out by holding.

Oh, and five plays later - we're talking 11 snaps total - there was yet another turnover as Mastbaum's Andrew King recovered a fumble.

Wait, we're not done. Four plays later, an against-the-wind Mastbaum punt bounced backward 13 yards to the 1. A motion penalty immediately put the ball on the 6. Hal Chambliss, a former Mastbaum player, ran for a 1-yard score for Gratz on fourth down.

Dudley scored twice on passes from Dominic Marrow while Daveer Fincher ran 9 yards for a score and Akbar posted a defensive tally on a 34-yard fumble return. Rasheen Tookes rushed for Mastbaum's six points.

Watford, who lives near 9th and Erie, intends to explore numerous options in college.

"But I might want to get into broadcasting," he said, smiling.

Who knows? When it comes to gettin' paid, talking might have to follow playing. *