FHSU Athletics
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Former Fort Hays State running back Shane Watts was signed by the New England Patriots of the National Football League on Tuesday. Watts is the first FHSU player to be signed by an NFL team since 2019 when Doyin Jibowu signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent. The Tigers still have one other active player in the NFL, Nathan Shepherd of the New Orleans Saints, who enters his eighth year in the NFL in 2025 after being drafted by the New York Jets in 2018.
Just a few weeks back, Watts signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and was a member of the team's practice squad for a week before being released. He was the second Tiger to be signed by a CFL team in 2025, joining wide receiver Jayden Horace. Watts now looks for a chance with the Patriots, who are one game into the preseason. Their next preseason contest is against the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday, August 16 in Minneapolis.
Watts played four years at Fort Hays State and wrapped his collegiate career with All-America honors as one of the top running backs in NCAA Division II in 2024. He was an All-America Second Team selection in 2024 by three separate organizations, including the D2CCA, Associated Press (AP), and Don Hansen Football Committee. He was also named to the D2Football.com Elite 100 Team. He was an All-MIAA First Team selection as an all-purpose back, finishing the year with 1,303 rushing yards and 449 receiving yards for 1,752 all-purpose yards. He scored 17 touchdowns for the season, including 13 rushing and four receiving.
By the end of the 2024 season, Watts ranked fourth nationally in all-purpose yards per game (160.8), fourth in total rushing yards, sixth in rushing yards per game (118.5), seventh in scoring (9.3 points per game), and eighth in total touchdowns. He became the first FHSU player in program history to rush for 200 or more yards in consecutive games, going for 201 against Missouri Southern on October 26 and then 250 against Emporia State on November 2.
Watts spent the first two years of his collegiate career as a defensive back with the Tigers, recording 14 tackles, before transitioning to the offensive side of the ball as a running back in 2023. In his two years as a running back, Watts produced a total of 1,979 rushing yards and 606 receiving yards with 23 total touchdowns.