Trey Watts
{{Short description|American football player (born 1991)}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Trey Watts
| image =
| number = 42
| position = Running back
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1991|2|13}}
| birth_place = Norman, Oklahoma, U.S.
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 9
| weight_lbs = 180
| high_school = Oakton (Vienna, Virginia)
| college = Tulsa
| undraftedyear = 2014
| pastteams =
- St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams ({{NFL Year|2014}}–{{NFL Year|2016}})
| highlights =
| statlabel1 = Rushing attempts
| statvalue1 = 7
| statlabel2 = Rushing yards
| statvalue2 = 30
| statlabel3 = Receptions
| statvalue3 = 3
| statlabel4 = Receiving yards
| statvalue4 = 18
| pfr = WattTr00
}}
Julius Caesar "Trey" Watts III (born February 13, 1991) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane and was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2014.
High school
Watts was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at Oakton High School. Started at running back and played cornerback. Had career statistics of 198 carries for 1,160 yards and 21 touchdowns and also had 48 receptions for 900 yards and 11 touchdowns. Watts helped lead his team to a 13–1 record and Division 6 state semifinal appearance his senior season and was named to the Virginia High School Coaches Association and Associated Press all-state second-team as a running back and kick returner his senior season as well as being named to the Washington Post all-Met honorable mention and first-team all-league squad as a senior. Earned first-team all-district and all-region honors as a running back and kick returner and rushed for 654 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior, while catching 39 passes for 732 yards and 10 touchdowns. Totaled 506 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground as a junior, while catching nine passes for 168 yards and one touchdown.
Recruiting
Coming out of high school, Watts primary selling point was that his father, J.C. Watts, a former member of the United States House of Representatives, was previously a starting quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners.{{cite news|last=Logue|first=Andrew|url=http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/d2/20121228/sports020602/312280067/liberty-bowl-tulsa-back-watts-knows-capitol-better-than-most|title=Liberty Bowl: Tulsa back Watts knows Capitol better than most|newspaper=Shreveport Times|date=December 28, 2012|accessdate=January 1, 2013}} He received no Football Bowl Subdivision scholarship offers, but thanks to a connection from his father, then Tulsa running backs coach (now head coach) Bill Blankenship convinced Watts to walk-on at Tulsa.{{cite news|last=Higgins|first=Ron|title=Legend's son Trey Watts builds own legacy at Tulsa|url=http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/dec/28/legends-son-builds-own-legacy-at-tulsa/|accessdate=January 1, 2013|newspaper=The Commercial Appeal|date=December 28, 2012}}
College career
=2011=
After redshirting his true freshman season and playing sparingly his redshirt freshman season, Watts came out of spring practice poised to make a contribution to the team.{{cite news|last=Tramel|first=Jimmie|title=Watts key ingredient for TU|url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=216&articleid=20110416_216_B4_CUTLIN97744|accessdate=January 1, 2013|newspaper=Tulsa World|date=April 16, 2011}} He led the team in all-purpose yards finishing with 1,629 (combined rushing, receiving, and return).{{cite web|title=Trey Watts Profile|url=http://www.tulsahurricane.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/watts_trey00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111219063542/http://www.tulsahurricane.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/watts_trey00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 19, 2011|work=Tulsa Official Athletic Site|publisher=CBS Interactive|accessdate=January 1, 2013}}
=2012=
In 2012, Watts earned second-team All-Conference USA honors as a return specialist and honorable mention All-Conference USA accolades as a tailback. Watts had a particularly notable performance in the 2012 Liberty Bowl against Iowa State during which he amassed 25 carries for 149 yards.{{cite news|title=U.S.C., With Barkley Out, Loses to Georgia Tech|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/01/sports/ncaafootball/bowl-game-roundup.html?_r=0|accessdate=January 1, 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 31, 2012|agency=Associated Press}} In Tulsa's previous game, the conference championship, Watts recorded a 50-yard punt return for a touchdown.{{cite news|last=Zunz|first=Andy|title=Officials' incompetency steals the show on national stage|url=http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/sports/officials-incompetency-steals-the-show-on-national-stage-1.2799382#.UOJVL29WyuI|accessdate=January 1, 2013|newspaper=Central Florida Future|date=December 2, 2012}} In total, Watts amassed 959 rushing yards on the season which led Conference USA and averaged 29.6 yards per kickoff return which ranked eighth in the country. He rushed for three touchdowns.{{cite web|title=Trey Watts Stats, News, Videos, Pictures, Bio|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/17282/trey-watts|work=ESPN|publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures|access-date=January 1, 2013}}
=2013=
As a senior in 2013, Watts ran for 1,329 yards with 11 touchdowns.
Professional career
=St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams=
Watts was signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2014 NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams. On October 12, 2015, Watts was released,{{Cite web|title = NFL Transactions {{!}} October 2015 All Transactions|url = http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/transactions?year=2015&month=10&type=0|website = www.foxsports.com|accessdate = October 12, 2015}} but re-signed on October 15. Watts was suspended indefinitely by the NFL for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy on November 4, 2015.{{cite news |author=Wagoner, Nick |title=Rams RB Trey Watts suspended indefinitely for substance abuse |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/14053146/st-louis-rams-running-back-trey-watts-suspended-indefinitely-substance-abuse |website=ESPN.com |date=November 4, 2015 |access-date=March 4, 2021}} On March 10, 2017, Watts was released from the reserve/suspended list by the Rams.{{Cite web |last=McAtee |first=Joe |date=March 10, 2017 |title=LA Rams Waive RB Tre Mason, RB Trey Watts |url=http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2017/3/10/14883532/la-rams-waive-tre-mason-trey-watts |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=Turf Show Times|publisher=SB Nation}}
Personal life
Watts is the son of J.C. Watts who was previously a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, a quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners, and is currently a lobbyist.{{cite web|last=Latzke|first=Jeff|title=Tulsa's Trey Watts making homecoming of sorts|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=txtulsawatts|work=College Football - Rivals.com|publisher=Yahoo! Inc.|accessdate=January 1, 2013}} His mother is Frankie Watts.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20111219063542/http://www.tulsahurricane.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/watts_trey00.html Tulsa Golden Hurricane bio]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watts, Trey}}
Category:Players of American football from Virginia
Category:Tulsa Golden Hurricane football players
Category:Players of American football from Norman, Oklahoma
Category:American football running backs
Category:St. Louis Rams players