Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins might be the most interesting person on Andy Reid’s roster, and a new interview with Bleacher Report’s Tyler Dunne introduces fans to a different individual from the one they’re used to witnessing on the turf. In the new tell-all published Tuesday, the former Clemson star opened up about his tenure with the Buffalo Bills and the changes he underwent in order to succeed at Arrowhead Stadium.
In Buffalo, Watkins Partied Every Night
Battling injury after injury, Watkins disclosed that instead of taking the proper steps to rehabilitate his body, he was instead partying “every night.” Yes, “every night,” he repeated to Dunne.
“‘Living fast,’ he calls it, holding up a pretend blunt,” Dunne wrote. “Yeah, he smoked plenty too.”
“I would go out and get wasted,” Watkins admitted to the publication. “Wasted wasted.”
Consequently, the extravagant lifestyle coupled with dangerous habits caused him to fall into a serious depression, often drinking alone until 4 a.m. and then waking up at 6 a.m. to consume more alcohol. The Florida native felt like his toxic behavior could be felt by everyone, from online trolls to Bills personnel to even his family.
I don’t think the world knows what athletes go through off the field. We have family. We have lives. You have good and bad in your family. I’m like f–king Jesus in my family. I was putting family before football. I wasn’t focused on football. I was like: ‘F–k football. I have to figure out how I’m going to put my family in a position to be successful or not to get killed or not to get in a situation where they can go to jail.’
I was fighting a war outside of football.
So, with nothing seemingly going his way, what was Watkins to do next? After injuring his foot again during year three, the now-26-year-old had one option: retire. But before then, Watkins once again engaged in self-destructive tendencies. From removing the boot off his foot to jog around the city to ignoring those around him offering helpful advice, Watkins felt as if everyone was telling him to just “stop.”
“Literally, just questioning everything in my life: ‘Am I supposed to be doing this? Is this my purpose? Is this a sign for me to quit football?'” he said to Dunne. “This is what God’s telling me. I felt like he was telling me to stop. Just stop.”
Watkins on Leaving Buffalo, Starting Fresh in KC
After sensing nothing but negative energy from Bills head coach Sean McDermott, Watkins knew it was time to get out.
“‘I think McDermott heard my prayers,'” the Super Bowl champion told Dunne about desperately wanting to leave New York. On August 11, finally some good news: he was being traded to the Los Angeles Rams. From there, Watkins promised to change for the better. Fast-forwarded to February 2, 2020, it’s safe to say he honored that commitment and then some.
Chiefs Kingdom remembers the play that altered Kansas City’s fate in the big game. Watkins caught a sensational pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes with 3:44 left and down by 10, embarrassing cornerback Richard Sherman in the process.
THAT RELEASE, THOUGH 😤 @sammywatkins
Now that he’s back at Arrowhead for another year, Watkins revealed one reason he decided to stay in the red and white was head coach Reid, who he described to Dunne as another father.
A proponent of discerning positive and negative spirits around him, Watkins has already manifested the rest of his career: “eight more seasons, two more Super Bowls, one gold jacket.” If he can remain healthy, then Chiefs Kingdom can expect nothing less from the standout receiver.
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Chiefs’ Sammy Watkins Says Excessive Partying, ‘Bad Energy’ Altered Career