Why I signed | For East Nashville's Jashon Watkins, choosing Memphis was about family

Jashon Watkins
For The Tennessean

The Tennessean has asked members of this year's Dandy Dozen to submit an essay in their own words why they signed with their school on Wednesday. Here is what East Nashville senior Jashon Watkins said about his signing with Memphis.

East Nashville athlete Jashon Watkins was No. 11 on this year's Tennessean Dandy Dozen.

Why am I going to Memphis? In my own words.

I'd have to say it's a family. It's a family. 

Everybody there loved me. The process even started there my freshman year. They offered me my freshman year. 

Ever since then the coaches stayed with me. 

Coach (Ryan) Silverfield promised me he'd be there through the whole thing. He kept his promise to me. He's still there to this day.

I had other schools recruit me — Georgia and Oklahoma — and all of those coaches I talked to from there through this process left and went somewhere else.

Coach Silverfield was there through the whole process. That meant a lot to me.