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Foley native, fresh off ArenaBowl XIX victory, gets another chance at making an NFL team roster

Fresh off an ArenaBowl XIX title, Foley native Chris Watton was given another opportunity to make his dream of playing in the NFL a reality when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed him to a two-year free-agent contract last week.
"I'm just glad to get the opportunity," Watton said in a phone interview Thursday from Tampa.
"Every athlete wants to play at the highest level possible, and not everybody gets the opportunity. It's a dream everybody has, and it's something I'm very excited about."

Watton, a 1996 graduate of Foley High School, has struggled to find a home in the NFL since he first joined the league in 2000 as an undrafted free agent with the Arizona Cardinals. Tampa Bay is his fifth team in six years.
He was released by Arizona before training camp started, prompting him to spend the following season with the Scottish Claymores of the NFL Europe.
He was invited to camp with the Baltimore Ravens and the Green Bay Packers the two years after that, but was released prior to the start of the season in both instances.
From 2002-04 Watton was a member of the Denver Broncos' practice squad, and was invited back for a third year only to be released at the end of the preseason.
He then caught on with the Colorado Crush of the Arena Football League, whom he helped to the league championship last Sunday.
Watton said winning the ArenaBowl XIX title on June 12 was the highlight of his playing career. Watton's team, the Colorado Crush beat the Georgia Force 51-48 on a last-second field goal by Clay Rush. The game was played at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
"It was really exciting for me because I've never won anything," he said. "I didn't really know what to do with myself (after we won). I just stood there and tried to take in what going on, so that I'd remember it later on.
"Any time you win a championship, whether it's in high school or college or the NFL, you hold on to that and you remember your teammates. If you have a mediocre season, you're probably not going to remember it as much."
A 6-foot-3, 290-pound offensive lineman, Watton was notified of the Buccaneers' interest by his agent a day after winning the Arena League championship. He said he flew to Tampa on Tuesday, signed his contract and was able to participate in the team's minicamp on Wednesday.
"I'm not going to get any rest, and that's a good thing," Watton said. "I mean, we played a 19-game season, and now I've got to turn around and do minicamp. I didn't really break stride, which is good. I'm still in football shape."
Watton said he's come a long way as an athlete the last few years, and that his growing pains will likely be an asset as he tries to make the Buccaneers' 60-man roster later this summer.
"I come in with essentially four years of experience," said Watton. "I've played in games with the NFL Europe and in the Arena League, and I've been in (NFL) camps too. My knowledge of the game has improved tremendously over the years, and I'm going to use my past experiences as an advantage. I just need to learn the offense and give it my best effort."
Watton was a member of Foley's 11-1 area championship team in 1995 that reached the second round of the state playoffs. He played two years of college ball at Southwest Mississippi College before transferring to Baylor University for two years.
Watton, 27, currently lives in Denver with his wife, Emily, and their two children, Zoey and Gage.


By DEREK BELT Sports Reporter