Chapel Hill, NC - The next time you watch a North Carolina basketball game, make a point to look at the end of the bench. In particular, take your look after a big dunk, a 3-point basket, a hustle game or a suspicious call by a referee. What you'll usually see is a 6-foot-1, 175-pound guard from his seat, whose face is matched by emotions and body movements. They are a byproduct of a competitive fire and the happiness that comes from fulfilling the dream of a lifetime. They belong to Jackson Watkins.
Watkins, who was born in Texas, Richmond, Va. and is one of two walk-ons who last earned a roster spot through an open tryout. Prior to becoming a walk-on, Junior was a member of her freshman year's joint venture program and was also part of the scout team for the UNC women's basketball program. He is majoring in Computer Science majoring in Business and Mining and has a keen interest in Investment Banking and Sports Finance. While post-college has an interest in currency investing, his investments during and after his first two years of college have provided a return he thought he could only dream of.
Most players at the collegiate level belong to the game of basketball that began as a young child. It was no different for Watkins as he began making shot attempts around kindergarten age.
Watkins' mother, Janet Tyson, said, "I teased him about the goal I had set for him when he was four or five years old." "It was one of those little goals that you sanded to balance. Inside. We were living in Austin and my driveway was really steep, so I set it up on the side of the driveway, which was the only one for me. There was real space. If he missed, he had to run downstairs and really scramble to get the ball. I tease him that he learned to shoot because he didn't want to run downstairs behind the ball. "
Though it sounds trivial, those were the moments that set the building blocks for the determination and dedication in the game that Jackson fell in love with, that determination would turn into a literal attachment to the game.
"He's never gone anywhere without a basketball," Tyson said. "We always had a basketball in our car. Over the holidays, I'd have to figure out how to make sure we got a backpack so he could carry his basketball on the plane. We went to Moab for spring break a year. and we'd drive around town and find basketball targets so he could shoot. This was where we went, like, if we went to New York, we had to find basketball targets. If we were in the middle of the desert If we were on the beach, no matter where we went, and how we got there, he had a basketball with him. We went to San Francisco and found a court in the city and got into it so he could shoot."
Watkins' father, Doug, could also attest to the level of dedication and attachment to the sport as Jackson grew up.
"There's an image of me in Richmond, it was probably in sixth or seventh grade, he'd just go out into the street and dribble the basketball," the elder Watkins recalled. “Dribble between his legs, just doing the trick without a basket. We didn't have a basket in the house and the gyms were closed, but he would go out and dribble a basketball or two at the same time, just practicing alone in the street. All the neighbors, they have never seen anything like this before. It was just one sign of his drive. If he didn't have a court, he did something he could do to improve his skills. ,
For as long as he could remember, North Carolina basketball had been a part of Watkins' life. His mother graduated from UNC. Tyler Hansbrough and Marcus Paige were his favorite players and were inspirations for his game to grow up. He often went to his training sessions with his coach, Dale Harris, in his teens wearing a tar heel outfit and dreams of one day wearing an Argyll-trimmed jersey.
Harris began training Watkins in middle school and eventually became the head coach of Watkins' high school. He continues to serve as a mentor. Watkins played high school ball under Harris at the Collegiate School in Richmond. Harris guided Watkins through his development and dubbed him an "everyday man" because of the work ethic he had. Part of Watkins' high school experience included winning the league title and rivaling Armando Bacot before the first-team All-ACC center moved to IMG Academy. While Watkins was a solid high school player—he earned 12 points and four assists his senior year, earning All-Conference honors—and could play at a D3 school, North Carolina was the ultimate goalkeeper regardless of his basketball standing. Was.
"[Jackson] and I talked him through the process," Harris said. "He was like, 'Coach, I'm safe and I'm fine. Carolina is my dream school. If basketball works, it's great, if it doesn't, I'm fine with it.'"
While Watkins was secure with his decision to pursue an education at UNC, once he moved to Chapel Hill, there was a time when the discomfort of being a freshman in a new environment got him down. Arriving at UNC provided a complete reset in identity for Watkins.
Watkins admitted, "I'll be honest, when I came to Carolina, I was exactly as lost as I was." “In high school, I used to walk around campus and people knew me for playing basketball. Once I went to college, before JV started, I was just, for lack of a better word, a normal student. Playing JV definitely gave me some kind of recognition. Being on a team, being a strong contributor to the team, it definitely helped me fit into such a big school. ,
Being on the joint venture team not only helped Watkins settle into college life, but it also built relationships and gave him a taste for Carolina basketball dreams. The COVID-19 pandemic meant no joint venture basketball season, but Watkins didn't stop working on his game, returning home and working out frequently during the year. The workout and skill development only intensified when he returned to campus and learned he had a chance to fulfill his dream with news of the open endeavour. Those workouts usually took place with Rob Landry, who was also a member of the JV team. Landry eventually became a walk-on alongside Watkins. After a 10-day testing process, Watkins was given the news during practice. His dream came true.
"When Coach Davis finally told us that last day that we teamed up was one of the best moments of my life," Watkins said. "I will remember it forever because it really was the culmination of hours and months and years of my life."
It was a moment that left Watkins in shock and it didn't really affect him until after a few emotional phone calls with his parents and coach. He was grateful to be a reserve and to be a part of Carolina basketball history.
The group of UNC team reserves is made up of Watkins, Landry, Creighton Labow, Ryan McAdoo and former joint venture teammate Duwey Faris. The "Biscuit Boys" group has accepted their name, given to them by a Carolina loyalist after their victory in the first matchup against NC State on January 29. This stems from the work he did to get 100 marks on the board. Reserve scored the final three points in the final 1:03 of the game, with Faris converting a layup for two of them and Watkins using a free throw to close it.
The screenplay for what would be Watkins' first point as Tar Heel couldn't have been written better. With a score of 99–77, Watkins made a steal and was then sent over the line with 37 seconds remaining, most likely the Tar Heels' last chance to reach 100 points. Against an arch-rival in front of Michael Jordan's court and 20,000+ fans awaiting Bojangles' 100-point promotion, nerves were at an all-time high; However, Watkins found the job cool to complete.
"To be honest, this is probably the craziest shot I've ever taken in my life," Watkins said. "Once I missed the first one, it's funny, because when I remembered it, there was really no doubt in my mind that I was going to make the second one. There was a strange feeling. It was such a calmness." It was a feeling that overtook me and I could have put my life on the line to make that second one."
The free throw was another moment Watkins said he would never forget. His companions later bathed him with water in the locker room. He then became somewhat of a local hero, going viral on social media and receiving many thanks from fans and fellow students for taking the biscuits.
It's been a real year and Watkins has thoroughly enjoyed it. The transition to being a full-time student athlete is something Watkins likens to working a full-time job, but one that he loves because he doesn't feel like he works a day in his life. Relationships, especially with their peers, are what they cherish most from this experience.
"It's been really cool to get to know some of these guys that senior year high school, freshman year, sophomore year I saw on TV, really cool," Watkins said. "I was a fan of them and now I get to know them on a personal level. It's been a great thing. It's something I definitely value the most because going forward, I'm going to be with these people for the rest of my life." This is the most important thing I am taking away from this."