Manchester athlete Menelik Watson says that he often has to pinch himself to confront the reality of his NFL success.
Oakland Raiders tackle, who tasted 38-14 defeat in a homecoming game against the Miami Dolphins last weekend at Wembley, spoke of his tough upbringing in the city after he rose to gridiron stardom.
The 25-year-old admitted that he still finds it hard to believe his journey from a budding sportsman raised in one of Manchester’s most deprived areas to one of the NFL’s most notable players.
Brought up on Anson Estate in Longsight, it was Watson’s love for basketball that initially took him overseas to Spain where he bagged a scholarship to play for the USA at Division 1 Marist College in New York.
Though his hoop hopes soon fizzled out, it took Menelik just 18 months before he was selected to play for NFL outfit Oakland Raiders, making him the highest-paid drafted player from England.
“It’s something I dreamt of when I was a kid,” he said.
“I always dreamt of being in America, I always thought it would be the NBA but it’s American football. So every once in a while when I get a day off, I think about it and I’m like, wow.”
The 6ft 5in Manchester City fan had harboured hopes of playing football of another kind – but his dreams of playing in the Premier League were quashed when he broke his right ankle while having a kickaround in the park as a teenager.
Watson is far and away the most prominent Briton in the NFL, which meant there was an added interest in his Raiders’ clash with Miami on Sunday.
Despite his accomplishments, the former Burnage High pupil still believes the best is yet to come.
He said: “I think I was kind of thinking about it [on Sunday] and I was like, yeah, you know, I am one of the only Englishmen, or one of the few Brits, in the NFL.
“It’s not every day I think about it, but sometimes I’ll have a moment and I’ll go, wow, pretty crazy.
“But I’m not where I need to be. I want to be better. I want to be the best in this league. So that’s why I can never really stop and think about it. I just think about ways that I’m going to get better and better.”
Watson’s also believes that this recent trip to the UK will be an eye-opening opportunity for the rest of his team mates to see how much the game is loved by the Brits.
All three International Series games at Wembley are sold out this season and Watson said: “It is important they see how much the game has grown.
“A lot of them were thrown back by the stadium and the fans in there and stuff like that.
“So, I think it was just a great experience. Obviously, we care about the result, but I think guys will remember this trip for a long time.”
Image courtesy of Londonist Londonist via YouTube with thanks
