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Class of 2027 DB Ben Watson out of Bowness High School in Calgary, Alberta has been around football for almost as long as he can remember.
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Before he ever suited up himself, there were Calgary Stampeders season tickets, long weekends throwing routes with his dad, and hours spent studying the game from the stands and the backyard.
By the time he officially stepped onto the field at seven years old, the connection was already there.
The Calgary defensive back talks about football with the kind of perspective that usually comes from years inside the sport. The intensity. The family atmosphere. The discipline. The accountability. All of it matters to him. That mindset helped shape Watson into one of the more accomplished defensive backs in Alberta entering the 2026 CFC Prospect Game on TSN.
The resume already speaks loudly.
Three provincial championships. Three city championships. Calgaryβs Tom Cheney Trophy winner as the cityβs Junior Football MVP in 2024. Team MVP honours at Bowness. Alberta Summer Games experience. And across six seasons at defensive back, the ball production jumps off the page with 27 career interceptions, including a ridiculous 13 picks in one season alone.
Watson grew up studying elite defensive units like Seattleβs Legion of Boom, which became one of the biggest reasons he fell in love with playing defense. The physicality, swagger, communication, and trust inside that secondary left an impression on him early. He still carries some of that mentality into his own game today.
There is also a strong Canadian football influence behind his development.
Watson credits players like Jon Cornish, Rob Cote, Keon Raymond, and Alex Singleton for helping deepen his love for the game while growing up around the Calgary Stampeders organization. He also points toward the many coaches in his football journey who played at the junior, U Sports, and CFL levels, helping guide him through the mental and technical side of development.
The story behind making the CFC Prospect Game roster may be the most meaningful part of all.
Watson tried out in 2025 and came up short. Instead of getting discouraged, he made earning a roster spot his top priority over the next year. That process became deeply personal, especially because the news of making the team was delivered by his grandfather, who is currently battling cancer.
For Watson, the moment represented far more than football.
Now he heads to Hamilton with something to prove and plenty of motivation behind him.
2026 CFC PROSPECT GAME FINAL ROSTERS
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