Athletics | Coach Speak

“Back to BC Football”

General Manager Kenyatta Watson is laying the groundwork for players’ success—on the field and in life.

By: Eric Bushnell, MA’22
A smiling man in a maroon "Boston College" hoodie stands on an indoor football field, showing his BC Football pride. Several players in maroon uniforms practice in the background, with large windows and bright overhead lights above.

Listen to the audio version of this article

Audio generated by AI.

His enthusiasm is contagious; his love for Boston College is palpable. After thirty years away, BC football alumnus Kenyatta Watson ’96 has returned to the Heights as the team’s first general manager.

He brings a wealth of experience from his time recruiting top players to Auburn, Georgia Tech, and Florida State—and an unshakable belief that he is the right man, at the right time, to help Gregory P. Barber ’69 and Family Head Coach Bill O’Brien lead the BC football team to greatness.

What does a general manager do in today’s world of college athletics, and why is it an important role for Boston College?

Basically, a general manager handles the roster, making sure that we improve it and fix any player issues so we can win games. In the world of college football nowadays, things are trending toward a model that’s like the NFL. Coaches need to focus on coaching, and the staff need to focus on personnel: finding recruits, building relationships, and handling the revenue share.

What drew you back to the Heights?

First of all, I just love BC, one thousand percent. I loved playing here, and I met some of my best friends here—guys I still talk to today. Last year, some former BC players reached out to me and they said, “We need talent … and you’re the guy [who can help us].”

I’ve got a lot of experience recruiting and building relationships with players in the Southeast, especially. Back when I was on the BC football team, we had lots of really good players from there, and I knew that I could definitely bring that back. So I got in touch with Coach O’Brien.

A brown quotation mark symbol with a textured appearance on a white background.

The guys that come here get to play college football, but they also get a world-class degree in an unbelievable city.”

—Kenyatta Watson

What distinguishes BC student-athletes from those at other schools?

To play here, you’ve got to be a really good “BC guy”—one that’s willing to go to class and that understands the importance of school. It’s not easy, and it’s not for everyone.

We have in-person classes here, which is so dope to me. It’s a different vibe; it’s a different environment. I was talking to the parents of some recruits, and I said, “Do you understand the advantage of actually going to class? There’s a professor there, you’re meeting people, you’re building your network instead of doing everything online.” The guys that come here get to play college football, but they also get a world-class degree in an unbelievable city—one of the best cities in the world.

Split image: On the left, a black-and-white photo of a BC Football player being tackled during a game. On the right, a coach in a maroon top greets players sitting on an indoor football field—Back to BC Football action.

Last season was a challenging one for BC football. How are you moving forward?

I always tell people, you gotta have players. [In 2007 and 2008], we had back-to-back ACC championship game appearances. That’s because we had Matt Ryan [’07] as quarterback; he took the program to a different level. We’ve been working to bring in some playmakers again. I think we’ve done really well bringing in the right guys with the transfer portal.

We’ve also had some coaching changes, and Coach O’Brien knows exactly what he wants to get accomplished. So we’ve got the right players and the right coaches—it’s going to be an exciting season. We’re going to get back to BC football: being physical, running the ball, knocking the [expletive] out of you.

How can the BC alumni and donor communities support BC football?

Get behind us. Support us financially. Show up—showing up is more important than anything. Some BC guys who’ve played in the NFL just came back and talked with the team—Mathias Kiwanuka [’05, H’26] and Jeremy Trueblood [’05]—and that was so impactful. And there are former players who are now high-level coaches, like Brian Flores [’03, MS’04] and Ryan Poles [’07], who I talk with all the time. Having that type of guy come back for practice and seeing them on the sideline for games is huge.

But beyond the football ladder, we need guys in business to come back and build relationships with the team. Hire our guys! Keep the BC pipeline going. Everybody has dreams of going to the NFL, but only one percent get that opportunity. So how else can we help these young men be successful in life? That’s the most important thing.

 

This interview has been edited and condensed.