A former Clemson great is beginning a new chapter in his football career.
Former Tiger standout Sammy Watkins is getting into coaching and will serve as the wide receivers coach at Ocoee High School in his home state of Florida, just outside of Orlando. The school announced the hire via a social media post.
The Ocoee Knights Football Family is proud to welcome Coach Sammy Watkins as our new Wide Receivers Coach!
A dynamic playmaker and proven competitor at every level of football, Coach Watkins brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion for developing young athletes both on and off the field. His commitment to excellence and understanding of the wide receiver position will be an incredible asset to our program as we continue building a championship culture.
Coach Watkins understands what it takes to succeed through hard work, discipline, and dedication. We are excited for our receivers to learn from someone who has competed at the highest levels of the game and is committed to helping our players reach their full potential.
Please join us in giving a warm Ocoee Knights welcome to Coach Sammy Watkins!
Watkins was a five-star prospect coming out of high school and signed with Clemson as part of its 2011 recruiting class. He wasted no time in making an impact, quickly proving as a freshman he was one of the top receivers in the nation. That first season, he finished 82 catches for 1,219 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also had 231 rushing yards and another 832 yards via kickoff returns, including taking one in for a score. He earned multiple National Freshman of the Year awards, as well as first-team All-American honors by multiple outlets. He was the first Clemson freshman to be named a first-team All-American.
As a sophomore, Watkins was once again a first-team All-American, reeling 57 receptions for 708 yards and three touchdowns.
As a junior, Watkins was one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award after catching 101 passes for 1,464 yards with 12 touchdowns. He led the team in receptions, receptions of 20+ yards (19), receiving yards, touchdowns, kickoff return yards (293), and all-purpose yards (1,768), earning first-team and second-team All-American honors.
After his three-year career at Clemson, Watkins was a first-round NFL draft pick by Buffalo in 2014. He went on to have stints with the Rams, Chiefs, Ravens and Packers, winning a Super Bowl with Kansas City in 2020. Watkins played a key role in the Super Bowl victory over the 49ers, reeling in five catches for 98 yards, including a crucial 38-yard grab in the fourth quarter.
Back in 2024, head coach Dabo Swinney broached the idea of Watkins joining his staff in some capacity at Clemson, but it never came to fruition.
“We’re trying to get him to, we’ve talked about timing and all of that,” Swinney said at the time. “His kids are athletes. He’s got some competitive athletes that he’s got a lot going on there. But he does want to finish school at some point. So I’ve been trying to get him to come back and help us out and finish up. So we’ll see.”