Jamar “Boogie” Watson Signs Free Agent Contract with Pittsburgh Steelers

Recent Kentucky football graduate, linebacker Jamar “Boogie” Watson, has signed a free-agent contract with the National Football League’s Pittsburgh Steelers. He is the second Wildcat from the 2020 class to sign a free agent contract, joining A.J. Rose (Vikings).
 
Watson, of Brandywine, Maryland, completed his Wildcat career playing in 49 career games with 29 starts, including 19 in a row. A big-play performer, he totaled 107 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, 18.5 sacks, 14 quarterback hurries, five forced fumbles, four pass breakups, one interception and one fumble recovery in his career. His 18.5 career sacks ranks fifth in school history.
 
Watson, who was voted one of 10 team captains in 2020, was part of a senior class who won 37 games (most in a five-season span since 1949-53), won 20 SEC games, most in a five-year span in school history, and who went to five straight bowl games, tying the school record. They also notched victories over six ranked opponents, ended the 31-game losing streak to Florida and won at Tennessee for the first time since 1984.
 
The 6-foot-2, 241-pound outside linebacker, finished his senior season with a season-high 40 tackles, five sacks and had an interception vs. Mississippi State in which he ripped the ball out of the receiver’s hands just before he crossed the goal line for a score. He earned second-team All-SEC by Phil Steele.
 
Watson graduated in May of 2020 with a degree in sociology and a criminology minor. He was a member of the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll and the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll (2016-17) as a student-athlete.
 
 
Kentucky/NFL Draft Notes:

• Kentucky’s six NFL Draft picks are the tied for the fourth-most in school history and the most since 1979 (eight). Five of the six picks were defensive players.
• The six picks are the most for Kentucky since the current seven-round draft era began in 1994.
• This marks the second time in the last three years that Kentucky has had five or more draft picks (five in 2019).
• For the second time in the last three years, Kentucky had a first- and second-round pick in Jamin Davis, first round and Kelvin Joseph, second round. Prior to that, you have to go back 42 years to find two UK picks in the first two rounds (Warren Bryant and Randy Burke, first round 1977).