Catching up with Rock Hill NFL vet, Benjamin Watson

There is a sign in Benjamin Watson’s house, a reminder from his wife, Kirsten:

“Enjoy the journey.”

Between the acupuncture, deep tissue massage, and daily aches and pains, that can be difficult for Watson to remember. It’s something the 12-year NFL veteran has kept in mind each of the past three or four summers when considering whether to continue his playing career.

“It’s been continually beaten into my head,” a laughing Watson said about his wife’s motivational home decor.

During an off-day last week, Watson spent 25 minutes talking to The Herald about a number of topics, ranging from the NFL to his penchant to offering commentary on current events.

On his career year with the Saints

Coming off the best year of his career, Watson was in the unusual position of being a fairly coveted 35-year old free agent. He credited New Orleans coach Sean Payton and Saints QB Drew Brees for having a big hand in his 2015 success.

“They have great imagination, they make it exciting, they make it fun to play offense and they’re always thinking of new ways to get players the ball,” said Watson.

Watson and Josh Hill were tasked with replacing All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham, who was traded from New Orleans to Seattle before the 2015 season. Watson said he placed Graham in the top-3 athletes he’s played with, company that includes Randy Moss.

“Part of football is being ready for your opportunity,” said Watson. “Me and Josh Hill had to run some of those routes and I took advantage of it.”

On joining the Baltimore Ravens

Every NFL player considers winning a Super Bowl when approaching free agency, though sometimes other considerations win out. Not so for Watson. Baltimore ticked all the boxes for him and his family, especially the “annual contender” category.

“There are a handful of teams in the NFL that have a chance, that are being run top to bottom in a way that’s functionally able to win a championship,” he said. “This is a stable organization, from the front office down to the coaching staff. They demand a lot of excellence. In my opinion they’re in that group of teams where you have a chance to win.”

Watson joins a team well-equipped at tight end. Three Ravens tight ends, including up-and-comers Maxx Williams and Crockett Gilmore, have played three years or fewer in the league, while seven-year pro Dennis Pitta is another solid option for Baltimore.

On being a 35-year old NFL player

Watson was using his off day to play with his kids, but also had a therapist in town to treat the various chronic injuries and ailments that pile up over 12 years.

“The maintenance increases as you get older. You can still go out and run and do all those things, but your recovery time changes,” said Watson. “You definitely have to have a plan. I can’t just get up and go out there and start running around without warming up properly and cooling down properly and getting all those other things on your off day.

“But I do feel blessed to still be able to go out there and run around.”

On his propensity to speak his mind on current events

The Ravens are named after an Edgar Allan Poe poem, but Watson admitted little familiarity with Poe’s work. He’s been doing plenty of reading lately, especially on Muhammad Ali in light of the boxing legend’s passing. Watson has also been researching fatherhood for a second book he’s working on that will be released in the summer of 2017.

Watson’s first book, Under Our Skin, published last fall, focused on race relations in America and was well received. His social media postings on current events ranging from Ferguson to the Cininnati zoo gorilla death have also been eagerly lapped up by a public that increasingly values his insights.

“People see something that I say and it’s flattering, but it’s just my opinion,” said Watson. “We all have a voice. Some of our voices may be to 10 people and some of them may be to 10,000 people, but it’s important nonetheless.

“We are to be responsible with the sphere of influence that we have. We all can – in some way – positively influence people.”

On the filters he speaks/writes through

Watson is a staunch Christian, and it’s that faith that guides his actions – he’s been nominated for nearly every “Man of the Year” type award the NFL offers – and his thinking.

“My hope, whenever I weigh in on a topic or issue, is that I do it from a place of truth,” he said. “Not necessarily being my opinion, but being something that I know is true because that’s what the word of God tells me. I try to filter everything through those lenses, take myself out of it.”

The Norfolk, Va., native and Rock Hill product doesn’t always publish his thoughts on a topic or event. There have been times he’s hammered out something on his laptop, only to close it and never hit send.

“I’m very aware that when you push send, that’s it. I’m aware of the responsibility that comes with representing myself, my family, my organization, my country well. There are times when I may write something and I say, ‘You know what? That’s just not gonna come across the right way.’ Let me take a minute and breathe.”

It remains to see what Watson does when he does finally retire from the NFL; it seems he’d have career possibilities in commentary thanks to his measured, thoughtful writings and the practice he’s getting from continued TV appearances.

On moving to Baltimore

There are seven members of Watson’s nuclear family now; the oldest of five kids is seven years old and the youngest is 10 months. Moving across country required a pretty big effort, but the Watsons found a home to rent near Baltimore and are settling down.

“It’s a big ordeal,” Watson said, chuckling.

Given Watson’s desire to speak out on social issues and events, he’s landed in a fruitful spot, Baltimore. The city has historically endured racial and civil turmoil, the latest being the uproar over Freddie Gray’s death in the back of a police van. Watson said he isn’t exactly sure how or if he’ll dive into local issues, but made clear that he doesn’t want to force any involvement.

“It’s not an accident we’re here,” he said. “I don’t know if that’s the reason we’re here; it may be something totally different.”

Perhaps part of the interest in Watson’s views on issues and events stems from the fire hydrant-like spray of news and information. Future historians will have the benefit of time to digest it all, but that’s much harder to do a day or two after something like Ferguson or Sunday’s Orlando night club shooting happens. He hesitates to ascribe labels to current events.

“I’m proud of history that’s made that moves us closer to what’s right,” said Watson. “I’m not proud of history that’s made just for the sake of it being history.

“Did we put this country in a better place that made it more prosperous and it continued to be a light on the hill, or did we drag it down? Have we been responsible with our time? Having children kind of changes your view sometimes, that what you’re doing leaves a legacy.”

On what might be next

When Watson hangs up his football cleats for the final time, he and his family have a tough choice of where to put down roots. Watson has played in four NFL cities – he had positive experiences in each – and also has connections to Norfolk, Va., Athens, Ga., and of course Rock Hill. His family still lives in Rock Hill and his wife’s family lives in Georgia, and he said they would love to live near them after football concludes.

“We’re open to wherever it may be, to whatever is next,” said Watson. “We have that door open. That’s kind of a scary thing as well. Who knows what God has planned for us next?”

Watson is heeding his wife’s advice, enjoying what’s left of his NFL journey. As he pointed out, he’s well into the bonus portion of an average NFL career, usually around three years.

“Last year, at this same time, I didn’t know if I was going to continue or not,” Watson said. “I’m trying to make the most of every day or year that I have left in this game of football.”

This story was originally published June 13, 2016 at 1:34 PM with the headline "Catching up with Rock Hill NFL vet, Benjamin Watson."