Tommy Watkins

Classroom

Tommy Watkins holds a 3.79 GPA in pre-physical therapy and will graduate on time in May. His classroom work has garnered Watkins several distinctions, including being named to the Atlantic 10 All-Academic and NSCAA Academic All-Region teams, as well as being a two-time CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team member (2008, 2009). Watkins is a six-time Dean’s List honoree and a three-year Dayton Scholar-Athlete. He was also named to the Ohio Coaches Association All-Academic team and he’s a six-time member of the A-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll. He is active in the University of Dayton pre-physical therapy club and serves as a tutor for computer applications courses at UD. Watkins intends to attend graduate school and go on to earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.

Character

Watkins has faced an uphill battle just to get on the field at Dayton. A broken leg ended his freshman season prematurely and sinus surgery set him back as a sophomore. Then in 2009 Watkins was in a car accident in which his vehicle rolled over into a ditch. He walked away with only minor injuries, but the immediate response from his coach and a teammates’ family put the Dayton Soccer program into perspective for Watkins. The Flyer team motto emphasizes the family nature of the group. Watkins has first-hand experience with that and it’s something he practices as a two-time team captain.

Community

Watkins became involved with several projects, such as Give a Christmas Gift at the Miami Valley Hospital, through the Dayton team, but his efforts extend beyond that as well. In the fall and spring of 2010 Watkins will volunteer in the Miami Valley Hospital’s physical therapy department. This comes after he spent this summer interning as an assistant to licensed physical therapists and aided in the rehab programs for post-surgical patients. He has also been involved with several other outreach projects, including the Key Club, which visited hospitals and nursing homes to provide support and entertainment, SPCA, which helps care for homeless pets, and the Adapted Physical Education program, in which Watkins built a relationship throughout the semester with a 9-year-old autistic boy. Watkins has also helped with TOPS Soccer, Christmas on Campus, the Thomas J. Memorial 5K, Drive 75 and UD’s Inner City soccer clinic in Trotwood, Ohio.

Competition

The rock of the Flyers’ defense, Watkins helped Dayton post nine shutouts en route to the 2009 A-10 regular-season title. Watkins was named the team’s Defensive Player of the Year and played the third-most minutes on the team.