CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) – Don’t expect Sammy Watkins to make any flamboyant lifestyle changes off the field now that he’s Clemson’s newest young star and the leading receiver in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The soft-spoken Watkins said when he’s not in class or at football practice he’s at home relaxing and staying out of the spotlight – apparently the freshman gets enough of that on the field.
He tops the ACC with 21 receptions and is tied for the league lead with four touchdown catches. Watkins had 10 catches for 155 yards and two TDs for No. 21 Clemson (3-0) in last week’s 38-24 victory over Auburn, the defending national champions. The receptions and yards were both Clemson freshman records and earned Watkins the ACC’s rookie and receiver of the week honors.
Still, Watkins hasn’t felt like a celebrity on the football-mad campus, mostly because he keeps indoors and away from hoopla.
“I stay in,” said Watkins, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound wideout from Fort Myers, Fla. “I go to class, football, I stay in the house most of the time.”
Watkins was a centerpiece of last year’s top-10 recruiting class, a lightning quick receiver who committed early to Clemson. He stuck by the commitment despite the Tigers’ first losing season in 12 years and the interest he was getting from football powerhouses like Florida, Florida State, Michigan and Tennessee.
Watkins quickly impressed Clemson coaches at practice, pulling off a highlight reel grab at almost every session to earn a starting spot. As good as his talent is his willingness to improve, Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said.
Watkins is humble, coachable and constantly taking notes.
“He just needs to stay how he is and he’ll be just fine,” Swinney said.
Watkins has certainly been that so far this season.
He struck for a touchdown the first time he was thrown a ball, a 33-yard score 26 seconds into his college career in a 43-19 win over Troy on Sept. 3. A week later, Watkins caught a critical, 38-yard touchdown pass right before halftime in Clemson’s closer than expected 35-27 win over Wofford. Watkins grab tied things up at the half for the Tigers, who trailed the Football Championship Subdivision opponent most of the contest before rallying.
Watkins showed out before a national audience last Saturday with touchdown catches of 65 and 19 yards as the Tigers ended the 17-game win streak of the defending BCS champions.
Watkins had a lot of help from the rest of Clemson’s offense, which rolled up 624 yards in the win, the Tigers’ third-highest total ever. But Watkins ability to get routinely get open that stood out against Auburn.
Swinney said Watkins made plays even when Auburn was in good position to stop him. There were times “they couldn’t have had a better defense” against Watkins, Swinney said. “But our Jimmy was better than their Joe.”
Watkins is ready for the attention he’ll get from a talented, physical Florida State secondary this Saturday at Death Valley. The 11th-ranked Seminoles (2-1) were toe-to-toe with No. 1 Oklahoma last week before the Sooners rallied late to win, 23-13.
“He’s made the biggest difference from last year to this year,” Florida State defensive tackle Everette Dawkins said. “He’s a good receiver, but we’ve got a good secondary. If they do what they did last week, focus on all their little technique stuff, I don’t think he’ll be that big a problem for us, but he is good.”
Clemson and Florida State, the past two ACC Atlantic Division champions, open league play at Death Valley, someplace the Seminoles haven’t won since 2001.
Quarterback Tajh Boyd, who threw for 386 yards and four TDs against Auburn, said bonding with Watkins has been seamless because of the freshman’s willingness to learn.
“It’s a great chemistry that we have that will get better the more time we have on the field,” Boyd said.
Watkins doesn’t mind being the target of defenses. That’s how it’s been since he emerged at South Fort Myers High as a sophomore with 33 catches for 537 yards and 10 touchdowns.
“I always get targeted out in high school because I was the leader of our team,” Watkins said. “I won’t take it any differently here.”
And don’t talk to Watkins about records, something he has little time for now. He didn’t know about his Clemson marks from the Auburn game until someone pointed it out afterward.
“People might come by and say, `Oh, you broke that record,”’ Watkins said. “I say, `Thanks, but I don’t really too much care.’ It’s more first year, so I’ve got a lot more learning, a lot more things to do.”
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