No. 21 | |||||||||
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Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||
Born: | Chicago, Illinois | June 30, 1977||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
Weight: | 188 lb (85 kg) | ||||||||
Career information | |||||||||
High school: | Chicago (IL) Leo | ||||||||
College: | Eastern Illinois | ||||||||
NFL Draft: | 1999 / Round: 3 / Pick: 67 | ||||||||
Career history | |||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Chris Watson (born June 30, 1977 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He played for the Denver Broncos, the Buffalo Bills, and the Detroit Lions.
Chris attended Leo Catholic High School in Chicago, part of the Chicago Catholic League.
Watson attended Eastern Illinois University as a student and a football standout. In football, he was a four-year letterman and a three-year starter.
Watson was drafted 67th overall in the third round by the Denver Broncos of the 1999 NFL Draft, then the highest an Eastern Illinois player had ever been drafted. [1] [2] Head coach and fellow alumnus Mike Shanahan was so impressed by Watson's performance in the pre-season, he released both veteran return specialists and made Watson the starter. [3] In his rookie season, Watson returned 48 kickoffs, and 44 punts including an 81-yard touchdown against Seattle in Week 15 (then the 5th longest in franchise history), but also fumbled 5 times and was traded to Buffalo. He was the Bills' primary return specialist in 2000, but he disappointed greatly in that role to the point where Bills head coach Wade Phillips dismissively called Watson "more of a punt catcher" at one point in the 2000 season. [4] Phillips's successor Gregg Williams used Watson almost exclusively as cornerback in 2001 and 2002. He was traded to the Lions before the 2003 season, but never appeared in a game. [5]
As of 2017 [update] 's NFL off-season, Watson shared the Broncos franchise record for kick returns in a season (48) with Chris Cole.
Roland "Champ" Bailey Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, where he earned consensus All-American honors, and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft.
Asante T. Samuel Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCF Knights and was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Samuel also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons. He is the father of Asante Samuel Jr., a cornerback who was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers.
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Devin Devorris Hester Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). He is widely regarded as the greatest return specialist in NFL history, and was the first and only person to return the opening kick of the Super Bowl back for a touchdown. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Miami, where he was the first player in the university's recent history to play in all three phases of American football: offense, defense and special teams. In addition to Chicago, Hester also played for the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks over his 11-season NFL career.
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A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another position such as wide receiver, defensive back, or running back. The special teams counterpart of a return specialist is a kicking specialist.
William Edward "Eddie" Royal is an American former football wide receiver and return specialist. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia Tech and was elected to its sports hall of fame in 2018. Royal has also played for the San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears.
Tracy O'Neil Porter is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. With the Saints, he won Super Bowl XLIV against the Indianapolis Colts, sealing the game with a memorable interception returned for a touchdown. He played college football at Indiana.
The 1993 Los Angeles Raiders season was the franchise's 34th season overall, and the franchise's 24th season in the National Football League. The team improved upon its 7–9 record in the previous season and returned to the NFL playoffs after a one-year absence, but lost in the AFC Divisional game to the Buffalo Bills.
Robert "Reggie" McClain is a former American football cornerback.
Bradley Roby is an American football cornerback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State. He has also played for the Houston Texans.
Kyle Brandon Fuller is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft and played college football at Virginia Tech.
The 2014 season was the Denver Broncos' 45th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 55th overall. It also marked the third season with Peyton Manning as the team's starting quarterback.
The 2015 Denver Broncos season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League and the 56th overall. It was also the fourth season with Peyton Manning as the team's starting quarterback, as well as the final season of Manning's 18-year NFL career.
Tre'Davious White Sr. is an American football cornerback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at LSU, where he was a consensus All-American as a senior in 2016. He was drafted by the Bills in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Since earning a starting position as a rookie, White has become one of the league's top cornerbacks as part of a resurgent Bills defense, having garnered two Pro Bowl selections and All-Pro honors.
Isaiah McKenzie is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, and was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Jamal Agnew is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of San Diego. On September 26, 2021, he tied the NFL record for the longest play with a 109 yard return of a missed field goal.
Michael Ford is an American football cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Southeast Missouri State.