For most athletes, the phrase “more than a game” holds a special meaning. Some place the honor of their school at the top of their list. Others play for their friends, family, or the heritage of former teammates that have graduated and moved on.
As the sun sets over the horizon this fall and the St. Augustine Yellow Jackets take to the gridiron to open the 2015 football season, one player in particular will suit up with a newfound purpose.
Darius Lee entered ninth grade as a running back. Since his sophomore year, he has suited up at strong safety. The change is a fitting one; now, as he prepares for his final high school football season, only a couple months away, he is proving that “strong” is more than just a designation of his position on the field.
Darius Lee will be playing for pride. He will be playing for the future. Most of all, he will be playing for the memory of his father.
Darius was thrust unexpectedly into becoming the man of the house when, on Christmas Eve of 2014, tragedy struck his family. His father, Ervin Watkins Jr., passed away from a heart attack triggered by sleep apnea.
“When I realized what happened, all I could do was cry,” Darius says. “I just couldn’t stop crying. But as I prayed to God, I began to see strength through the pain. One night, I had a dream that my father was talking to me, telling me that I had to stay positive for everyone else. I realized that I was going to have to be strong to help keep the rest of my family together. I took that in my heart and ran with it.”
Darius was left with no other alternative; at only 16 years of age, he now finds himself trying to fill the shoes that were once filled by his father. As the oldest sibling (Darius has three sisters, one brother, and one stepbrother), he is left with the momentous task of guiding children, barely younger than him, in the ways of responsibility and growth.
As with any loss, not every family member is going to handle such a trial in the same way. A big part of adjusting to life without his father has been making sure that Darius’s siblings are coping with the change.
“Nobody was closer to their father than Darius’s youngest brother (Ervin Watkins III),” says Loretta Watkins, Darius’s mother. “When he passed, Ervin took it the hardest; he felt that their father was the only one that truly understood his feelings. But Darius stepped up; he let his brother know that we are all here for him.”
His strength has resonated in his responsibility. According to his mother, Darius is filling his newfound role to perfection.
“Darius has always been humble,” she says. “You could talk to him, one-on-one, and you could just tell that he ‘gets it’. Now, he stays on top of his siblings every day. He makes sure they do their chores, he helps with cooking, and when his siblings make mistakes, he is always there to correct them. He has even lifted me through all of this. At times he will pull me aside and remind me that it is our job to stay strong for the rest of the family; we can’t quit.”
When asked about his memories of his father, Darius has no problem detailing the close bond that the two shared. His father even had his own special spot come game time. When Darius would look to the sideline, he always saw him, leaning over the fence, giving smiles and nods of pride and approval.
“My father was always motivating me to work,” Darius says. “During the offseason, he would make me train, even if I didn’t want to. He would talk to me about self-motivation and how successful I could be. He would always give me pep talks before games, and after every game, he was there, win or lose. He would celebrate with me, and he would offer me points on what I could do to improve.”
Darius has had his share of support as well. His teammates have reached out to him and constantly offered their condolences and support. He is also branching out and expanding his athletic experience. This year, Darius joined the track team and competed in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 4×1, and 4×2 races. He has also continued his efforts in weightlifting. He wants to be the best athlete possible.
“Losing his father has pushed Darius to work even harder,” Mrs. Watkins says. “I notice him putting forth even more of an effort now, whether it be academically, in sports, or outside of school.”
Another source of strength comes from the family’s undying faith. Darius leans heavily on his belief that God does not make mistakes and that everything happens for a reason. He regularly attends Living Waters Ministries, and he is also a member of an extracurricular organization called Young Life, in which college students give back to high school communities.
“I didn’t get to participate in many things with Young Life this year because of everything that was going on,” he says. “But I really enjoy what we do. The older members reach out to us and we have a lot of fun. The goal of the organization is to show kids my age that being a Christian doesn’t have to be what others label as ‘boring’.”
Darius would like to attend the University of Florida and major in either business or sports medicine. He is partial to UF because he likes the coaching and the fact that the strong safety position is judged by merit and desire rather than size. Also, at less than ninety miles from home, he will be able to remain close to his loved ones.
“My father always taught me that nobody will treat you better than your family,” Darius says. “Friends are great, but friends aren’t always forever. Your family is forever.”
Whether his father is on the sideline fence or looking down from the heavens, Darius’s goal remains the same. With each tackle, tipped pass, or interception, he is giving it his all in hopes of making his father proud of the young man that he raised.
“It’s going to be hard looking at that fence and not seeing him there,” Darius says. “I might ask my mom to stand there for a while. But it’s going to be okay. My father raised me to be responsible and handle adversity. I know we can make it through this. He was always protective of this family, and he always taught us to put God first in everything that we do. Now it’s my job to keep that going.”
Northeast Florida/June 2015
Darius Lee
St. Augustine High School
St. Augustine, Fla.
By James Washington
