Watkins enjoys playing with his teammates at Prep

Jackson Prep senior receiver Garner Watkins said his favorite part of playing football is seeing all his teammates and getting to interact with them every day.

Watkins said he has been playing receiver since seventh grade. He is not sure what college he wants to attend but aims to play football wherever he goes.

“I started playing football because most of my friends were also playing,” Watkins said. “I enjoy playing receiver because I get to catch the ball, and when I score, it is fun and makes Friday nights great.”

Watkins said he and his teammates figured out a good groove recently and are tight this season. He enjoys hanging out with his teammates and works part-time at Smoothie King.

“We’ve been winning games, and it is a lot of fun,” Watkins said. “The game where we played Parklane is my season highlight so far. I got a couple of touchdowns, and I was team captain that week.”

His favorites:

• Hobby: Playing guitar

• Food: Five Guys

• Vacation spot: Rosemary Beach, Florida

• Movie: “The Godfather”

“I like my team and Coach Turner,” Watkins said. “He is more of a throwing offense type of guy, so that has been good for me and us as a team. We got off to a bit of a rocky start this season, but we’re starting to pick things back up.” 

Jackson Prep Head Football Coach Tyler Turner said Watkins is a reliable player.

“Garner doesn’t miss practices or games, and he’s had 100% attendance,” Turner said. “He always comes out to give a constant great effort. He has improved so much this season and is one of the most improved players on the team. He has done a phenomenal job this year.”

Turner said Prep is currently 4-3 and lost to Greenville Christian, Madison-Ridgeland Academy and Heritage, all of which he said were good teams. He said Prep is a young team right now, but Watkins and the other players are getting better every week, and he hopes to finish the year strong against schools such as Jackson Academy and Hartfield Academy. 

“Garner is just a great kid,” Turner said. “He catches balls as a receiver, but he also blocks for his teammates and is great at perimeter blocking. He’s an unselfish receiver and can make catches in traffic. I am very proud of his improvement. He has worked very hard.”