March 26, 1999
By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer
COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. (AP) – The University of Kentucky football playerwho wasdriving the car in which two friends died still blames himself for the deaths.
“The mental and emotional scars will last forever,” Jason Watts saidThursday in his first public comments since the accident Nov. 15.
The accident Nov. 15 killed teammate Arthur Steinmetz, 19, and EasternKentucky student Scott Brock, 21.
“I literally see my buddies dying in my arms because of me,” Watts said.
Watts, 21, of Ovieda, Fla., faces a July 19 trial on two counts ofsecond-degree manslaughter and a count of wanton endangerment. He is scheduledfor a court appearance Wednesday.
He chose to speak about the crash to students at Southern AdventistUniversity, about 18 miles north of Chattanooga, as part of the school’s drugand alcohol awareness week.
Watts, who was Kentucky’s starting center, said he hoped someone willlearnfrom his tragedy.
“It’s all because of a stupid mistake,” he said. “Drinking beers andgetting behind the wheel is something that could’ve been avoided.”
Watts, who has been dismissed from the Kentucky team, spent Saturdaynightdrinking with his friends. The celebration was fueled by Kentucky’s 55-17Senior Day victory over Vanderbilt, which earned the Wildcats a berth in theOutback Bowl.
But by early morning, they became bored and decided to hunt deer.
Watts was driving his truck on U.S. 27 when it slipped off the roadwayas hepassed a car, clipped a mailbox and blew out a back tire.
The three men said nothing to each other, knowing they were about tocrash,Watts said. The truck flipped, throwing all three out of the vehicle. Wattswent through the windshield, bending his steering wheel.
When he came to, he went first to Brock who gave him a half-smile beforedying. He then tried to shake awake Steinmetz, only to have him die in hisarms.
“Because of my poor judgment, my two buddies were gone,” said asoft-spoken Watts. “When you think about it, I should’ve been the first one togo. Getting in that car that night was a mistake.”
With his friends dead, Watts said he wanted to die as well and even triedholding his breath in the ambulance.
At the hospital, his blood alcohol content tested 1 1/2 times the legallimit. He had a 12-inch gash on his right arm that wound up requiring surgeryseveral times. He also had cuts on his left shoulder and back that requiredstitches and staples in addition to injured ribs.
Watts had been in trouble before while drinking.
He shot then-teammate Omar Smith in the buttocks as they handled a rifleoutside the house they shared in 1997, and had a blood alcohol level of 0.129percent two hours after the shooting. He was charged with unlawfuldischarge ofa weapon.
He met with the Brock family before leaving the hospital in Lexington andwas shocked that they greeted him with a hug and forgave him for his part inthe crash. He finally spoke with the Steinmetz family recently and was againsurprised that they also forgave him.
“You almost want them to be mad at you because it will make the guilteasier,” Watts said.
He said even his friends on the offensive line pointed out that he shouldhave been the first person killed. But he told the audience that he feelshe isnow living three lives – his own and for his dead friends.
He dreams nightly about the crash and figures he is lucky to sleepthree orfour hours a night.
“It’s rough, but it’s nowhere near as rough as it is on the families,” hesaid.
