At that moment, the boy would bust out, arms raised, eyes fixed straight ahead on the dream in front of him.
"Ever since I can remember," said Ken Watson, "if you asked Benjamin what he wanted to be when he grew up, he'd answer, 'I want to be a football player and a missionary.' "
Twenty-three years later, Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson is an NFL starter, an integral part of an unbeaten team that will try to cap its perfect season with a victory over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII Sunday in Glendale, Ariz.
Watson's career is approaching its zenith, yet as he has established himself as a respected member of the Patriots, he simultaneously has answered the call of his faith. Last week, while his teammates enjoyed a three-day hiatus from football, Watson formally kicked off his "One More" Foundation, created to promote educational and enrichment opportunities through charitable programs.
"So much of football relates to Christian life - sacrifice, commitment, discipline," said Watson. "I know God has a plan for me. I don't know what it is. After football? Who knows? My grandmother and my father always said I would end up as a missionary. Well, I feel like I am one now."
Inquisitive mind
The genesis of that calling came when he was a child in Rock Hill, S.C, as he engaged in bedtime talks with his mother, Diana, about her beliefs.
"He'd ask me spiritual questions he wouldn't ask when the light was on," Diana Watson said. "Questions about Jesus, about sins, about heaven. He was very inquisitive. He was looking for answers."
Because his dad was a pastor, Watson and his five siblings spent each summer tagging along to Christian camps. Benjamin found himself transfixed by the words of his father, whom he admired fervently. Once, after the family returned from a retreat with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Benjamin's friends came over to toss a football. Instead, they were given a sermon by a solemn 7-year-old intent on spreading the word of God.
"The kids were all sitting on the curb, listening to Benjamin talk," Ken Watson said. "He was telling them how important it was to give your life to the Lord. I was like, 'Wow.' "
