Football players from all 131 Football Championship Subdivision institutions are eligible for this prestigious award.

Each of the nominees are required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.0 scale) in undergraduate study and be a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials.

Watson has been a key performer in the offensive line that has blocked for a Bearkat attack that leads the Southland Conference in rushing offense, scoring and pass efficiency and stands second in the league in total offense. In the NCAA Division I FCS national statistics, the Bearkats rank No. 4 in rushing, first in scoring and No. 21 in total offense.

Sam Houston State is the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division I national playoffs and has reached the national championship game against No. 2 seed North Dakota State. The contest will be played Saturday in Frisco, Texas, at 12 noon.

The 6-3, 290 pound senior from Norman, Oklahoma, holds a 3.44 overall grade point average as a political science major. He was a finalist for the National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Postgraduate scholarship and earned a Sam Houston political science scholarship to study Arabic in Jordan during the summer of 2011. He is  Dean's List and President's student and SHSU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee officer,