FPD’s Watson goes for double title defense at GHSA meet

Robby Watson is proof that hard work pays off.

The FPD senior won GHSA Class A private school titles last year in the shot put and the discus, and after a year of dedication to his craft, he is primed for a repeat in both events.

To make things even better, Watson has a great opportunity to set the Class A private school record in both events, especially in the discus.

Watson made the difficult decision to give up football for his senior year and focus on the shot and the discus, and the results have been impressive.

His best throws career throws coming into this year were 51 feet, 6-1/4 inches in the shot put and 162-0 in the discus.

Those numbers have jumped to 55-7 in the shot and 184-4 in the discus.

“It was a really difficult decision to give up football because I had played since I was 4 years old, but I knew that I wanted to play sports in college, and I didn’t think it was football,” Watson said. "I started going to Throw 1 Deep in Atlanta for training, and I got serious about my throwing. I had to make the call to give up football, and I think it was the right decision for me.”

Throw 1 Deep is a throwing club in Atlanta that is a federal non-profit business that helps student athletes earn college scholarships. It is a United States Track and Field club.

“I go there every single weekend," Watson said. “I usually drive up on Saturday morning to practice, spend the night, get up Sunday morning and go to another practice and then come home. It has been a huge help for me because there is so much technique that goes into throwing that you really have to study it to know it.”

Watson, who has signed with Southern Miss, has lofty goals for the state meet.

“I would love to get personal bests in both events, and I would love to beat the state record, especially in the discus," Watson said. "My best throw is 184 feet, and the private school record is 168, so obviously it’s doable.

“But the main thing is that I want to win both events. There are people close to me in both events, so I need to be at my best.”

Watson admits to having some nerves heading into his final high school meet.

“I have a lot of excitement and some nerves heading into Thursday, and I know that since I won last year, the pressure is on me.” he said. “But, to be honest, I know that I have put in the work, and that’s what I like about throwing. It’s a selfish sport because it is all on me. I just need to stay focused and get it done.”

This story was originally published May 11, 2016 at 9:53 PM with the headline "FPD’s Watson goes for double title defense at GHSA meet."