Orlando Watters

Watters was dominant in three sports for Anniston High School. In football, he received first-team All-County recognition as a defensive player following both his junior and senior seasons. Watters was so versatile that he earned first-team All-State honors from the Alabama Sports Writers Association and the Birmingham News as a wide receiver as a senior.      

Watters was a two-way starter for Anniston’s undefeated 1989 Class 6A state champion football team. On defense, he played wherever the Bulldogs most needed him. As a receiver on offense, Watters set AHSAA records for pass receptions in a game and in a season. In Anniston’s win over Cedartown, Watters caught 18 passes to set a single-game receptions mark. In the Bulldogs’ 12-6 championship game win over Murphy, Watters caught 14 passes, finishing with a then state-record 102 receptions for the season. Nine of those catches went for touchdowns. He also rushed for two touchdowns and scored on punt returns of 52 yards and 60 yards.   

In the spring, Watters starred in track and baseball. As a junior, Watters won three events as Anniston claimed the 1989 boys’ county championship. At the Class 6A state track meet in 1990, Watters won the long jump with a leap of 24 feet, 10 inches. That jump, more than thirty years ago, remains the longest ever recorded at an AHSAA state track meet in any class. 

As a senior, his pitching and hitting helped the Bulldogs to win the 1990 county tournament title and advance to the 6A playoffs. 

Following his senior year, Watters was named MVP of the 1990 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star football game. He played on the winning East team in the national East-West All-America All-Star game. 

Watters then committed to play football at the University of Arkansas. In three seasons at Arkansas, he intercepted 12 passes and returned three for touchdowns. As a senior in 1993, he led the nation in interception return yards with 185 yards on six interceptions.  

Watters spent one season in the National Football League with the Seattle Seahawks. Playing cornerback, he intercepted three passes and had 47 tackles with 41 solo stops.