Ricky Watters

In a season filled with victories over ranked opponents, Notre Dame defeated the #3 ranked West Virginia 34–21 in the Fiesta Bowl to secure the school's 11th national championship.

With six All-Americans, the team cemented its place as one of the greatest teams in the history of college football.

Richard James Watters (born April 7, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL).

Watters arrived at the University of Notre Dame in 1987 as a highly touted member of head coach Lou Holtz's second recruiting class.

The class was the Fighting Irish's second consecutive top 10 recruiting class, following on the heels of the '86 class which included star quarterback Tony Rice.

Watters began the season backing up Mark Green and occasionally returning kickoffs.

Behind Rice and an infusion of new talent, the team went 8–4 and appeared in the Cotton Bowl Classic against Texas A&M.

Watters played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he played wide receiver on the school's 1988 national champion team.

Following the departure of Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown, Holtz moved Watters to Brown's flanker position for the 1988 season to ignite the Irish passing attack.

The move paid dividends as Watters led the team in receiving.

Watters' contribution on special teams was equally impressive as he returned two punts for touchdowns.

Before the annual Notre Dame-USC game, Holtz suspended Watters and running back Tony Brooks for disciplinary reasons.

Playing their biggest road game of the season against the #2 ranked Trojans without their leading receiver and rusher, Notre Dame pulled out a convincing 27–10 victory.

1989 would again see Notre Dame contending for the national championship.

With teammate Tony Brooks suspended for the season for academic reasons, Holtz switched Watters back to tailback.

Watters did not disappoint as Notre Dame spent 13 weeks ranked #1 before losing to Miami 27–10 in their regular season finale.

The Irish concluded the season with a convincing 21–6 win over #1 ranked Colorado in the Orange Bowl, and finished the year ranked #2 behind Miami.

For the season, Watters finished second on the team in rushing behind quarterback Tony Rice.

Watters played for ten seasons in the NFL with San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Seattle.

He was selected by San Francisco in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft, but sat out the entire 1991 season with injuries.

He started at running back for the 49ers during the next three seasons, and San Francisco's offense led the NFL in scoring and yardage each year.

The 49ers reached the NFC Championship Game in 1992 and 1993, falling both times to the Dallas Cowboys, before finally vanquishing Dallas in the 1994 NFC Championship on their way to a Super Bowl championship.

He also won Super Bowl XXIX as a member of the 1994 49ers over the San Diego Chargers.

Watters was known throughout his playing career for his outstanding receiving skills and his unique high-step running style, which earned him the nickname Ricky "Running" Watters, from ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman.

Ricky Watters also has appeared in the movie Any Given Sunday. He was the running back for the fictional team the Dallas Knights, featured in the final game of the movie.

Watters is listed in the credits, and his name is clearly shown on the back of his Knights #32 jersey.

Currently Watters is a motivational speaker for kids who, like himself, are adopted.

He is also a recording artist, music producer, president and CEO of Tigero Entertainment, and an author, having written the book, For Who For What, a Warrior’s Journey.

In a 1994 NFC Divisional Round game, Watters set an NFL postseason record with five rushing touchdowns in the game, as the 49ers trounced the New York Giants 44–3.

His thirty points scored in the game set a new record for most scored by one player in a postseason game that still stands.

In Super Bowl XXIX the following season, Watters scored three touchdowns in San Francisco's 49–26 victory over the San Diego Chargers, tying a Super Bowl mark shared by fellow 49ers Roger Craig and Jerry Rice, and later matched by Terrell Davis of the Denver Broncos, James White of the New England Patriots, and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Watters joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 1995 as a free agent.

He gained notoriety in Philadelphia for his infamous line "For who? For what?"

after his first game as an Eagle on September 3, 1995 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The line was an answer to a question on why he didn't stretch himself to catch a Randall Cunningham pass that would've likely resulted in a big hit from a defender and instead "short armed" A Pass to avoid contact in a 21–6 loss.

But he quickly established himself as a very productive player for the Eagles, leading the league in yards from scrimmage in 1996 and helping Philadelphia get to the playoffs twice.

He was the head football coach for Oak Ridge High School in Orlando, Florida until resigning on October 1, 2013.

An architecture major in college, he returned to Notre Dame in 2014 to complete the three final credits necessary for a graphic design degree.

Watters attended Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he played quarterback and wore #12; he was a four-year letterman in football.

He played pewee, pony, and varsity grade school football for Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament (OLBS) Golden Gales.