Sept. 13, 2002

LOGAN, Utah - By: Jeremy Seeley, USU Athletic Media Relations Student Assistant

Wearing navy blue in front of 77,000 red-clad fans, Utah State sophomore linebacker Robert Watts must have felt something like an Easter egg on Christmas Eve. It was Watt's first trip to Lincoln. The Utah State Aggies faced the ninth-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers for the seventh time Saturday Sept. 7.

Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska is famous for sellout games and wild fans, but Watts said this only made him play better.

"It was pretty intimidating at first," Watts said of the game atmosphere. "But it was exciting to me. I like that. It's a challenge to me. You've got devoted fans out there and they all want to see you lose. That just motivates me. I want to go out there and show them that we're for real."

Although the Aggies didn't fare well against the 'Huskers, Watts lead the Aggies in tackles with a career high five unassisted and four assisted tackles.

"I was very nervous before the Nebraska game," said Watts. "I had a lot of butterflies in my stomach. Once we got out there and started playing, I felt pretty good, pretty comfortable. That game became my number one football memory after Saturday. That was fun."

Before playing collegiate football, Watts was a stand-out player for Paraclete High School in Lancaster, Calif. His intimidating, defensive play helped his team win three state championships. He was named the defensive MVP of the CIF. He was an all-valley first-team selection as well as an all-Los Angeles Times first-team pick his senior year. In his senior year, Watts recorded 109 tackles, five sacks and two interceptions.

In addition to football, Watts played other sports in high school.

"I played baseball, basketball and volleyball in high school, but it's straight football now," said Watts. "It's the only sport where you can go out there and hit somebody and get away with it. It's a good job."

After high school, Watts moved to Logan, Utah to play for the Aggies. In his second playing season at USU, Watts has filled a starting role on the football team. After red-shirting his first year, Watts saw action in his first season, starting four games and made 28 tackles.

Hard work during the off-season helped him secure a starting spot this year.

"He stayed in the weight room; got extra weight on him," said David Reeves, USU linebacker coach. "His strength has increased. His speed has increased. Physically, he has improved everywhere you could ask for.

"He's improved in the classroom. I think he's improving everywhere in his life right now. The young man is growing."

No one demands more of Watts than he does of himself. "I had a lot of expectations for myself," Watts said. "I wanted to come out and be the best 'backer in the nation. That's kind of my goal."

Though nearly three years from graduation, Watts has some plans for his post-college career.

"Right now I'm a physical education major - specifically exercise science," he said. "I was thinking of being a strength and conditioning coach. I'm also interested in being an NFL scout. That always been a dream of mine. But if I could do anything, I would play professional football."

And Reeves thinks that Watts has a bright future in whatever he does. "His potential is unlimited. He's a great player," Reeves said. "And I think he's going to be better.

"Now he's a sophomore. He can be unbelievable by his senior year. If he continues to work as hard as he's been working lately - every month, every day - I don't even know what to expect from him. He's going to be that good."

As a sophomore, Watts has time to improve his game, but he has to remember to be patient.

"I have a lot of time ahead of me," said Watts. "I have to remember that and stay patient. I still have a lot of work to do. I want to be a consistent player, so people can expect me to play like I did against Nebraska. You know, go out and make 10 tackles per game and be a consistent player."

In his own mind, Watts has the attributes that will carry him to success. "I'm an honest hard working guy, I guess, just like everybody else," he said.

As Watts has grown and progressed as a player and a person, his coaches have taken note. "His potential is unlimited," Reeves said. "He's got a frame. He's got unbelievable attitude of wanting to be great. He'll work to achieve it."