Lindsay Lane’s Roderick Watkins, quarterback, shown here in the pocket, is headed to Kansas Wesleyan to play football, while also planning to run track for the program. 

Roderick Watkins, former quarterback of Lindsay Lane, who helped propel the program to the Varsity level, went from a Junior Varsity football team to Kansas Wesleyan due to hard work and savvy social media abilities.

In the age of the internet, new possibilities are presented for athletes who work hard and learn how to use the social media tools to their advantage.

Meet Watkins, the living, breathing example of someone using the self-promotion of social media for good, in order to help recognize his dreams.

Watkins made the move from wide receiver to quarterback due to unforeseen circumstances, but was willing to step up for his team and quickly made the adjustment.

Head coach of the Lindsay Lane Lions football program, Jeremy Williams, previously described Roderick Watkins as having a “cannon for an arm.”

Watkins describes who he models his style of play after, emulating an MVP quarterback who changed the game.

“Anyone who watches me play knows I try to (emulate) Lamar Jackson,” he said.

Jackson is creative, mobile and can light up opponents in the passing game.

Additionally, Jackson has been doubted at multiple points of his career, during Louisville and after being drafted by the Ravens.

While Watkins has received ample support from his family, friends and coaches, Watkins also took an unorthodox route to get to where he is today, much like Jackson did.

Watkins began as a member of Lindsay Lane’s Pee Wee football program, then moving up to Junior Varsity as the program grew.

While Watkins never got to participate in their Varsity program, with 2022 being the first year of Lions Varsity football, Williams says Watkins’ impact on the program is a large reason Lindsay Lane football is where they are today.

While his play on the gridiron speaks for itself, Watkins’ skills off of it are a significant reason he signed to Kansas Wesleyan football (and track).

Watkins knew he was going to need to promote himself in order to go to the next level, alongside support from Williams, his stepfather Kareem Cannon, other members of his family and other members of Lindsay Lane.

According to him, he used social media platforms, namely Twitter, to get his name out there, using a combination of media skills and film editing abilities to get his football talent showcased to universities.

“He promoted himself from a JV football program to a college program,” Williams said in a previous article.

While Kansas Wesleyan was not the only school to show interest in the budding quarterback, Watkins said he felt the move to Kansas Wesleyan was the right move for him and his career.

Cannon said he was proud of Watkins and respected his ability to make his own decisions at crossroads in his life.

Watkins and Cannon both found a home in Lindsay Lane, choosing the school as where Watkins could grow academically, athletically and spiritually.

According to both Watkins and Cannon, they are both thankful they ended up as Lions.

Williams also added that the sky is the limit for their program, and five years from now, their program could be in an even better place than they are currently, thanks to players like Watkins.