SAN ANTONIO — Leroy Watson, tight end, number 89, UTSA Roadrunners. The junior has found a home in the UTSA starting lineup, but he's just as comfortable on the bench. A piano bench, that is.
"I'll quit football way before I stop playing the piano," Watson said. "I don't know any tight end that can play the piano like I can... Music is a part of our whole family. We all sing, we all play instruments, we all did it in church growing up, but I probably started playing the piano around five years old."
The junior tight end had his 'A' game on the grand long before the gridiron. "My grandmother told my mom that I was supposed to play the piano, so she forced me to play for a little bit," he said. When grandma gives an order, you follow!
"He'll just look down and, nah nah nah nah nah," said wide receiver Sheldon Jones. "It's impressive isn't it? It really is!"
Maybe that's why LeRoy said the distance between football and music is not that far. "Just analyzing the information and constant practice, repetition really. Once you see things a couple of times, its mostly like concepts, you can read almost everything," Watson said.
In fact, it's only made him better in between the twenties. "Transitioning from offensive line to tight end catching balls, the piano helped me constantly focusing using my eyes and hands, and it probably helped in lots of ways," he said.
His coach agrees. "There is some rhythm with it, and things like that, but I don't know, but if he says it works for him, I'm for it, and it must be working for him, so let's keep him playing," said UTSA head coach Frank Wilson.
Watson is fine with his coach's order.
"Definitely, this is where I find my peace."
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