Cory Watson carves out decade-long career after discovering football late

It has been a decade in the CFL for Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver Cory Watson, a fact that surprises even him.

“I honestly thought maybe three (years) and at the very most five and it was going to be year after year after that,” Watson said. “I’m pretty proud of what I’ve accomplished but for the most part I didn’t think I’d make it past five years to be honest with you.”

Watson has surpassed even his own expectations as he gets ready for his 141st game in the CFL on Friday against the host Montreal Alouettes. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.

In his career, Watson has hauled in 348 passes for 3,952 yards and 17 touchdowns. That’s not bad considering Watson had never touched a football until he moved to Canada.

Watson was born in Jamaica and was the second-oldest of nine siblings.

“I had a fun childhood growing up in Jamaica. I was able to run free a little bit, be able to wander a little bit. I was free to really know my environment,” Watson said.

While he played sports in Jamaica growing up, they were never really a focus for him with his mother setting his sights on his school work.

“My mom was very strict in terms of getting into the books,” Watson said.

Growing up in a single-parent home, Watson also had to help out where he could.

“Just take care of the little ones and make sure that they know their responsibilities and make sure I’m where I need to be in terms of them looking up to me,” Watson said.

Watson’s family moved to Quebec around 1995 when he was about 11 years old. He spent most of his childhood growing up in Dollard-des-Ormeaux.

Canada was a place of many firsts for Watson, including seeing some weather he had never experienced before.

“The first time I saw snow was the most interesting day of my life,” he said. “It was pretty cool.”

And the move to Canada also led to him becoming enamoured with a sport he just discovered.

“I was immediately drawn to it because I was curious in terms of the equipment,” Watson said. “I had never seen a sport where guys had equipment on so that really intrigued me.

“As a kid, I had a bit of aggressiveness built up inside of me. Being able to hit someone, that was always interesting to me.”

Watson’s uncles ended up being role models and guides throughout his football journey.

“When I was younger, it was always fun playing with my uncles,” Watson said. “Being the smallest one there and being able to fill in in whatever role they allow you to play was always great.”

Watson said football was easy for him to pick up because of the hitting involved. He eventually learned how to catch the football, saying basketball helped him pick up the hand-eye co-ordination to do it.

His uncle Dave Spence was the most influential person in his life when it came to the gridiron.

Spence played football at Idaho State University and had a stint on the Roughriders’ practice roster in 2000. In 2007, Spence was named the receivers coach at Concordia University where Watson played his football.

Watson had received interest from schools in the United States for his talent, but a lack of focus on his schooling put an end to that dream.

“I was missing a grade so the interest that I had down south had to fall through based on that particular incident,” Watson said.

Watson spent four seasons with the Stingers before he was drafted by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the second round (ninth overall) of the 2010 draft.

“That was surreal. (My family and I) were just sitting at home watching the draft and to see my name called was great,” Watson said.

He was surprised that he was heading west from Quebec to begin his CFL journey, expecting to get drafted to a team closer to home.

“I thought maybe I would’ve stayed in Montreal but looking back it was a great opportunity for me to go out west and not only discover Canada but I had an opportunity to really build a career for myself,” Watson said.

And west has been where Watson has stayed for his entire CFL career. After five seasons in Winnipeg, Watson found himself on a Roughriders roster for the first time in 2015.

But the stint was short-lived, with Watson being traded, along with a 2016 second-round pick, to the Edmonton Eskimos before the 2015 draft. Long-snapper Jorgen Hus and a 2016 third-round selection (which turned into kicker Quinn Van Gylswyk) went to the Roughriders.

Watson ended up winning a Grey Cup with the Eskimos in 2015. He played one season with the B.C. Lions in 2018 before signing a one-year contract with the Green and White in February.

“The first time was a short ride but it was something I felt it was the right time for,” Watson said. “This was (Spence’s) favourite team and a place he enjoyed when he had his opportunity, so it was a no-brainer.”

So far in 2019, Watson has caught 20 of the 22 passes thrown his way for 215 yards and one touchdown.

The Green Zone pre-game show gets underway at 3 p.m.