Dec. 17, 2008

WACO, Texas - Baylor has received a signed National Letter of Intent from Butte [Calif.] College offensive lineman Danny Watkins to play football, head coach Art Briles announced Wednesday.

A Canadian who has played just two seasons of organized football, Watkins was a unanimous All-NorCal Conference selection at tackle for Butte in 2008. The 6-5 Watkins is rated No. 38 on Rivals.com's junior college top 100 list.

Watkins will enroll at Baylor for the spring semester and go through spring drills with the Bears.

"We are very excited that Danny's a Baylor Bear," Briles said. "He fills a definite need for us, and what we like about him is his intensity, physicality and energy. Plus he's mature; he's 24 years old and understands proper paths."

Watkins led Butte to a perfect 11-0 season and the California Community College Athletic Association championship earlier this month, a 17-9 win over Mt. San Antonio College.

"He's gonna be a heck of a player and a heck of a teammate," Briles said.

Watkins, a 24-year-old who grew up playing hockey, was a part-time firefighter in Kelowna, British Columbia, when interest in the fire academy at Butte College brought him to the Oroville, Calif., community college prior to the 2007 season. He tried out for and made the Roadrunners football team and played all 22 games the past two seasons.