8/28/2020 football Edit

Catching up with ... Edwin Watson

Tom Dienhart • BoilerUpload

GoldandBlack.com, Associate Editor

@TomDienhart1

Edwin Watson and his wife are successful business owners in Indianapolis.

Edwin Watson is a busy man.

He and his wife own and operate two companies in Indianapolis: Triple E Realty and Property E Management.

“The realty company works with buyers, sellers and investors,” said Watson. “The property management company, we do residential property management. So, we manage about 600 doors in Indianapolis.”

Watson also is involved with his two sons, 12-year-old Edwin III and 9-year-old Evan.

“I get to coach them and have since they could hold a football,” said Watson.

And Watson still usually finds time to get back to Purdue for a game at a school where he made a significant impact from 1994-97 after arriving as a Jim Colletto recruit from Pontiac, Mich.

Watson made an instant impact as a freshman at Purdue in 1994 while playing in the same backfield as Mike Alstott, running 59 times for 272 yards and three TDs in his debut. Watson followed that with 553 yards rushing and five scores in 1995.

Watson led the Boilermakers in rushing each of his last two years, churning out 768 yards and six TDs in 1996 and 927 yards and 11 touchdowns in 1997.

He finished his career with 2,520 yards rushing—which still ranks seventh in school history—on 530 carries, averaging 4.8 yards per carry with 25 TDs. Watson also caught 63 passes for 676 yards and two scores.

The 6-0, 225-pound Watson was a seventh-round draft choice of the Green Bay Packers in 1998 before matriculating to the Eagles where he had a cup-of-coffee career before injuries took their tool.

GoldandBlack.com caught up with Watson, who resides in Zionsville, Ind.

GoldandBlack.com: How did you end up at Purdue?

Watson: Bobby Turner. He came into my living room. And, he looked at me and told me that I could be pretty good. He had me standing in the living room in a three-point stance with him slapping my thighs saying “you got strong legs.” Me and buddies laugh about it all the time. He told me I could come to Purdue and be a contributor.

I didn't know anything about Purdue. I didn't know where it was … didn't know anything. Just thought, I was going to Michigan, or down to Alabama State with my best friend. I just knew I was going somewhere. Bobby Turner came down to visit and had a really good time and I just felt at home.

GoldandBlack.com: You played right away as a freshman in 1994, too.

Watson: I did. Coach (Colletto) gave me a shot. Let me get in. I think my first game was vs. Ball State. I was just 17 years old when I scored my first touchdown. I kid my wife all the time that I was a prodigy because of it. Corey Rogers was Big Ten Freshman of the Year a few years earlier. He ran into some issues with the coaches, clashes, which gave me an opportunity to show what I can do and I went from there.

GoldandBlack.com: What was the highlight of your career?

Watson: My senior year when Coach Tiller came in and changed the whole culture of the program. The Notre Dame game that year was special, very special to us just for the simple fact that Coach Colletto was on the other sideline (as Fighting Irish offensive coordinator). I have a lot of respect for Coach Colletto. Love him as a coach. I thought he was a good position coach.

I made comments about him going over to Notre Dame, when he said he was a great coach when he had great players. That rubbed us the wrong way. To win at home, being able to go out on a good note, we won a few games and kind of started Purdue on the right direction in 1997.

GoldandBlack.com: What comment did you make about Coach Colletto before the Notre Dame game?

Watson: After the Toledo loss to open the season, I said ‘Coach Colletto is used to losing in Ross-Ade Stadium.’ I said that, (the media) ran with it. It was everywhere.

GoldandBlack.com: How special was 1997?

Watson: It was a good time. It really was, just thinking back. I feel sorry for the guys who didn't have the opportunity to have some success. We got to do that. I didn't even know Purdue went 1-11 the year before I got there (1993). How can you do that? That’s how little I knew about Purdue before coming.

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Edwin Watson finished his Purdue career with 2,520 yards rushing, which still ranks seventh in school history.

GoldandBlack.com: How was your NFL career?

Watson: I got drafted in the seventh round by the Packers and went out there and tore my shoulder up in camp. So, they shipped me off to NFL Europe, where I had a great year. I came back and was doing well in camp. The staff wanted to look at two other backs in camp to see who else they wanted to keep, De’Mond Parker and Basil Mitchell. So, they didn’t want to play me the last two preseason games. Those guys showed up. All of sudden, I was the odd man out.

I wind up in Philadelphia. I got cut and signed by the Broncos, where Bobby Turner was the running backs coach. I was on the practice squad. Then, Andy Reid called and asked me to come to Philadelphia. I had a good run. But I ended up tearing up my shoulder a second time.

GoldandBlack.com: What have you been doing since leaving football?

Watson: I worked in corporate America for about 12 years. I used to be a quality executive for Rolls-Royce. At the same time, I started doing real estate about 17 years ago. My wife and I started purchasing investment properties. And I went back and got a master's degree. I did my final project for my master’s degree on how to open a property management business.

So, about 10 years ago, I took on my first client for my property management business, and we just continued to grow that. I work primarily my wife and we own a real estate company (Triple E Realty) and a property management company (Triple E Property Management) here in Indianapolis. We have about 18 employees and a team of real estate agents, as well. We are doing OK.

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