SWFL Super Bowl champion coaching alma mater

Fifteen years ago Jaylen Watkins lead Cape Coral to an undefeated season.

Now number seven is back to try and do it again, this time on the sidelines.

“Before I knew it I was like, ‘Okay, I think this is something I want to do,'” Watkins said.

The Seahawk legend turned Super Bowl champion has taken over as defensive coordinator at his alma mater.

“It’s just a part of my journey. I went to school here with my wife. I met my best friends. Once you go off and you come back you always want to pay homage to the places that you came from.”

Watkins first left southwest Florida for the swamp, playing defensive back at the University of Florida after being recruited by Urban Meyer’s staff.

Then he went even further, in 2014 he was taken in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.

That began a seven year stint in the NFL with various teams that included a Super Bowl win with the Eagles.

But what took him all the way to the top was everything he did off the field.

“Show up on time, be accountable, be a high character teammate. That will take you far in life, no matter what. Whether it be football, whether it be trying to be a business owner, a partner, these traits are very vital, but it’s not just for this sport.”

He and several of his former teammates are committed to teaching this year’s Seahawks team the same values and the importance of brotherhood.

“It was an entire culture here and we’re here. We’re just trying to get that back.”

Lucky for him, most kids are willing to listen to a Lee County Athletic Conference Hall of Famer.

Watkins has the road map to success and a road named after him to show for it.

His most important lesson for the defense: optimism.

“My coaches would always say every time the grass is green and the paint is on the field, that’s an opportunity to make a play or make something happen. Every time we run out whether it’s a pick on offense or a fumble on offense, we’re backed up. That’s an opportunity. We smile. We’re happy about it, because we like football.”

Watkins told WINK Sports reporter Sylvie Sparks he adapted that from his college coaches to his NFL career and it’s not the only thing he brought from Gainesville to the Cape.

The Seahawks’ new head coach is Watkins’ college roommate, former Gator quarterback Tyler Murphy.

This summer Murphy and Watkins lead team workouts together.

Ultimately Watkins called himself a great defensive coordinator, but said Murphy is the man for the leading role.

“I love the school so at the end of the day I want success for the school and for the kids,” Watkins said. “I think they get the best success right now with Tyler and me supporting him and the staff supporting him.”

Watkins came home to run his business, D1 Training. Getting to coach his alma mater with his best friends is just a bonus.

“As long as I’m in Fort Myers, I’ll be at Cape High so if that’s 20 years or 30 years. I hope to see complete success for this program for a very long time.”

If they succeed in restoring Cape Coral football to its former glory, that will be icing on the cake.