USL Feature
Friday, February 25, 2011
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – As the song goes, oftentimes you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.
That was certainly the case for Orlando City’s Jamie Watson.
A former U.S. U17 international who started at the 2003 World Cup, and first-round MLS SuperDraft pick from the University of North Carolina when he was taken 13th overall by Real Salt Lake in 2005, the saying ‘too much, too soon’ could definitely apply.
That was certainly the way Watson was feeling in 2008, sitting in Austin, Texas with a bleak sheet of paper in front of him.
“I think finding out when I had to sign a paper that said I was no longer a pro athlete,” Watson said, “that I was an amateur playing PDL with the Aztex because they were the only team that wanted me, it was either stop pointing the finger at everybody else and blame myself and figure it out or keep having the same thing happen and effectively be out of the game.”
Watson’s story, though, is one of a man who has fought his way back from the edge, and who is now one of the most recognizable players in USL PRO.
“I like his endeavor,” Orlando City coach Adrian Heath said. “He never knows when he’s given up and he bounces back every time. You can criticize him as much as you want and the next day he comes in and he’s full of it again. When he plays at his full potential, he’s a problem for the opposition.”
Heath was the coach that threw Watson a lifeline with the Aztex, and Watson responded by scoring seven goals in 13 games and helping the Aztex to the PDL playoffs. But it wasn’t until the following season when he signed with the Wilmington Hammerheads that the 5-foot-9 attacking midfielder really felt he was getting his career back on the right path.
With a new attitude and work ethic, Watson led USL-2 with 12 goals in 16 games, earning regular season MVP honors. Needless to say, Watson is now looking forward to get the opportunity to return to Legion Field this season as a member of the Lions.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say I had circled that one on the calendar and knew it was June 4,” Watson said. “I have a lot of great memories there, Dave Irving helped resurrect my career there when I was in a very difficult situation, he was there and gave me a chance and I’ll always be grateful for that. It’ll be weird walking to the other locker room and sitting on the other side of Legion Field, but I can’t wait for that one.”
While his coach and his teammates get to see the positive energy Watson brings to practice and gameday on a daily basis up close, fans are now also getting to see that side of Watson through the medium of Twitter. With 610 followers, and rising, Watson is enjoying the chance to interact with fans at his @Jamiewatson77 handle.
“I enjoy it because I take it light-hearted,” Watson said. “You’ll never hear me talk too specifically about what I do with the team, but I enjoy having a way to be connected to the fans, and I’m a fan of it too, I mean there are people I follow that I think are really cool and if someone looks to me and asks me a question, it’s the least I can do to get involved.”
What’s most important for Watson now, though, is to continue to connect on the field. After seeing his former teammate Eddie Johnson jump to Major League Soccer with the Portland Timbers in the offseason, Watson is hopeful he can follow a similar path back into U.S. Soccer’s top flight.
“I’d like to put myself in a similar situation to him,” Watson said. “I respect Eddie a lot and I hope he has all the success in the world in Portland, as we all do. We all loved playing with Eddie last year, he was awesome.
“[For me] it wasn’t realistic in 2008 or 2009, because I still needed to grow up, but maybe now it’s getting to the point where I might be able to handle that if I get back in that situation again and if I did the things I’ve learned since then it would mean I’d never slip back again.”
Whether that happens or not, Watson is still thrilled to have the opportunity he has to play the game he loves.
“I played a game of soccer tonight, and I’m going to do it again on Saturday night,” Watson said. “This is the same thing I was doing when I was (three-feet tall), and now I get to keep doing it and people come watch and this is my job. It’s not a day of work when you’re doing something you love, and even before every game now I’ll close my eyes and say a prayer that I’m so thankful I am to be doing this because it was so close to it being gone.”