One man who once led men on the gridiron now embraces a legacy of leading Marines.
Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Tyler R. Watkins, a former NCAA Division I student athlete who played linebacker for Coastal Carolina University, is now assigned to the plans and research section of Marine Corps Recruiting Command here.
“Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be a hero,” Watkins said.
The lieutenant said he now defines being a hero as serving his country, protecting his loved ones and setting the example for his 2-year-old son, Easton. Lessons learned through a series of challenges strengthened his character and willpower to become a Marine officer, he said.
Watkins, 240 pounds of southern country muscle stacked six feet one inch high, was introduced to football at age 5 in his hometown, Indian Land, South Carolina, and played through college. He received multiple scholarship offers while attending high school, but decided to attend Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina.
Changing Course
Watkins earned a spot in Presbyterian’s lineup his sophomore year, and things were looking promising until he was blindsided in the spring of 2012 by the alcohol-related death of his teammate Kyle Allen. Allen was Watkins’ roommate, teammate, gym partner, fraternity brother and friend. Watkins believes if Allen was alive today, they would be serving together as Marine officers.
“I love him, I miss him, but I needed to continue and move out of that environment,” Watkins said.
Looking to escape memories associated with the loss of his friend, Watkins transferred to Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina. He lost his football scholarship after transferring and risked paying for college out-of-pocket. The transfer ended up being the right move, Watkins said. He walked onto Coastal’s football team, and fell in love with the program and staff. With assistance from financial aid, he was able to pay for his tuition.
Coaches at Coastal teach athletes to “stand on their own two feet” and take responsibility for their actions, said Joe Moglia, the head coach of Coastal’s Chanticleers.
Watkins soon discovered he would learn this lesson and face a whole new set of challenges and responsibilities when he learned that his girlfriend was pregnant.
“It was tough going to school, playing football and helping raise Easton when I could,” Watkins said. “People try to tell you what to do because they believe they know what is best for you. I really owe it to the support I received to keep me in school.”
In December 2014, Watkins graduated from Coastal with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
Life After Football
Watkins believed he was done with football after college, but received a call from an athletic trainer urging him to pursue an athletic career. To reassure himself with a second plan, he visited Marine Corps Capt. Peter C. Foster, an officer selection officer with Recruiting Station Columbia, South Carolina. By the end of the visit, Watkins told Foster, “I will be back here in a few months if things don’t work out.”
Watkins pursued football and trained with rising star athletes to prepare to play professionally, he said. But, Watkins said, the journey was taking too long, so he cut his losses and kept his word and returned to Foster.
“In preparation for officer candidate school, I quickly understood there wasn’t much that I could teach him about determination and grit,” Foster said.
Well-suited for the challenge from years of football, he left for Quantico and OCS in May 2016.
His previous struggles in life served as motivation to graduate OCS, Watkins said.
He graduated from OCS, Aug. 6, 2016, and earned the title of Marine after commissioning. Unfortunately, Watkins cannot continue his training at the basic school at MCB Quantico, due to injuries he sustained while training. He is temporarily attached to Marine Corps Recruiting Command until he is medically fit to tackle TBS, and he has his sights set on being cleared for the class starting in March 2017.
“Quitting was never part of me,” Watkins said. “There were some tough times in college, but God, my family and my coaches helped me through those times ... I’m not 100 percent right now, but I am still working out every day to prepare for TBS.”
Watkins is excited to continue his career as a Marine officer, he said. But most importantly, he wants Easton to be proud of the man he is, and hopes to set the example for his son to follow.
“The Marine Corps sets the example for the type of person you should want to be,” Watkins said. “If you don’t pick up the [gear] off the field, your players won’t -- your Marines won’t. It’s easy to do the wrong things, but you will learn discipline doing the right things and that resonates with people you lead.”