A new prospect joins the Gaels football squad. Ashton Watson—a wide receiver from Newmarket, Ontario—looks to bring a wealth of experience, talent, and dedication to success to the Gaels roster .
Watson’s football career began at the age of six where he played two seasons for the Newmarket Bucks. When he switched to the Metro Toronto Wildcats two years later, he met Coach Marcello
Lio, a figure Watson cited as having a profound impact on his football career.
“I had a bit of an ego; he changed my whole mindset. He made me a team player. My work ethic got way better when I was getting coached by him,” Watson said in an interview with The Journal.
Having played running back for almost the entirety of his football career, Watson saw the change to wide receiver in his Grade 12 season to best utilize his skillset.
“I like helping, blocking, and making big plays for my other teammates, but I couldn’t really do that as a running back. So, I kind of like receiver a lot,” Watson said. “I’m also in the open field already, and that’s where I excel at for sure.”
Even before his recruitment to Queen’s, Watson was recognized on a national level. From scoring touchdowns in the Canadian Football Chat prospect team to competing on Team Ontario for the Canada Cup, he never struggled to succeed at any level of his playing career.
Watson displayed immense excitement and commitment about joining the Gaels. When asked about his motivations behind choosing Queen’s, he said the attraction of a good football program that values academic growth of their student-athletes was the selling point.
“They care about building each player on their team,” he said. “Resumes for businesses, mock interviews, all that little stuff matters to me, like they don’t just care about football. They care about their player. They’re not just a roster number.”
Coming from an all-boys boarding school of about 600 students, Watson voiced his worries about the number of students at Queen’s. He emphasized the pressure he’s put on himself to be accountable as he
won’t have anyone watching over him anymore.
Watson will be living on campus this year where he’s excited to play video games and watch Star Wars with friends.
Watson will face off against the Laurier Golden Hawks in the Gaels home opener at Richardson Stadium on Aug. 26. He’ll be going up against his brother, Mason Watson, a solid Defensive End for the Golden Hawks.
Tags
Ashton Watson, class of 2027, Football, rookie
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