Maturity has Watson on brink of CFL dream

The sheer power, finesse and skill that has made Cory Watson of the Concordia Stingers one of the top receivers eligible for Sunday’s Canadian Football League draft are indisputable — clearly evident in the black-and-white of statistics or the images of highlight-reel tapes.

But what formed the man behind the player, the reality of a life he inherited, isn’t nearly as palpable, masked by his humility along with a warm and natural smile frequently flashed.

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“It was tough enough to eat, and we may not have always had what we wanted,” the 26-year-old says. “But she made sure we got the things we needed.

“It was my responsibility as the big brother. Babysitting or working through school. I helped out where I could. It wasn’t hard for me.”

Raised by a single mother, Watson is the second-oldest among nine siblings. He has one natural older brother. Born in Jamaica, the family immigrated to Montreal, where Watson’s grandfather and uncle were living, when he was 9.

The family moved five times. The shortest time they spent in one dwelling was a year; the longest between five and six years. He started working summers at age 16. Anything to help financially.

His uncle, Dave Spence, knows better than anyone the obstacles Watson and his family have endured and overcome. It was Spence who became the father figure in Watson’s life, mentoring him through life’s challenges while pushing him to succeed once Spence was hired in 2007 to coach the Stingers’ receivers.

“He has done a lot on his own,” Spence says.

Watson was a cricket and soccer player in Jamaica, not knowing quite what to make of football and basketball — or snow and Montreal’s harsh winters — following his move to Canada.

“I was stunned by it,” he says. “The only thing similar back home is hail. There was a little bit of snow on the grass, so I ran out barefoot the first time. My uncle closed the door and I was freezing.”

While in junior college, Watson would slip on his uncle’s oversized helmet and watch tapes of a sport that, to him, seemed barbaric.

“Like watching knights in the Middle Ages,” he recalls. “I was surprised you were allowed to hit. That it was part of the game.”

It’s a part Watson soon came to relish. He played basketball, but was too aggressive, constantly running into foul trouble. Football seemed a more natural outlet at age 12. Watson started at quarterback before switching to tight end and finally receiver.

“One summer, he grew and turned into a phenomenal athlete,” Spence says. “Right then and there I knew he’d be special.”

Watson was a three-time all-star in Quebec’s CEGEP ranks. He had a chance to play NCAA Division I football, after Michigan State, Syracuse, Connecticut and South Carolina all expressed interest. But Watson failed biology in high school and the missing credit made him academically ineligible. Under the circumstances, Concordia was the most viable option in 2006.

“I knew coming out from CEGEP he was a tremendous athlete,” Stingers head coach Gerry McGrath says. “But it was a little frustrating that first year, getting him tied down to things. He was going too many different directions.

“I think Dave Spence did an outstanding job, kicking his butt, or I don’t know if he would have hung in there. After the second year was his defining moment. You could see his desire to play ball taking over. He became great in the third year, and outstanding the fourth. I don’t know if there was a better receiver than Cory last year in Canada.”

Watson says he struggled with time management, not to mention his course load as a general arts and science major. His grades have improved over time, although he estimates he’s still a full year from graduating.

None of it would have been possible without Spence’s input.

“Without Dave, I wouldn’t be playing ball and probably wouldn’t be a Stinger,” says Watson, who puts in a 30-hour week working at an electronics store. “Those first few years, for me personally, my time management wasn’t good. I was juggling school, work, football, training and a bit of a social life. It was hard. Something had to give. My grades suffered and I was exhausted.”