Ricky Watters -- Seahawk Running Back Hopes To Help His Team And Local Kids Achieve Success

Seahawk running back Ricky Watters hopes to help his team and local kids achieve success.

A competitive spirit and winning attitude are the trademarks of Seattle Seahawk Ricky Watters.

"I've always been outgoing and kind of aggressive in everything, not just sports," he says.

"It was good that I was aggressive in school. Any kind of competition like spelling bees, math bees or science-fair projects, I just wanted to be the best," says the All-Pro running back.

His academic and football achievements began at an early age.

"Nobody's going to believe this, but I knew when I was 6 that I was going to be a professional football player. I scored 34 touchdowns in eight games my first season. I told my mom I was going to be a football star and buy her a big house," says Watters, who did buy his parents a home.

While attending college at Notre Dame University, Watters led the Fighting Irish to a national championship in 1988.

He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1991, and spent his first season on injured reserve. In 1994 the 49ers won the Super Bowl. Wattersscored three touchdowns for San Francisco in that game.

"That was incredible," he says. "To be able to say, `We are the best team in football,' there's nothing else like it. That's something I wish every player could get to feel."

He's excited about the Seahawks this season and the character of his teammates. "I am so impressed with what I'm seeing of this team," says the five-time Pro Bowler.

Watters, who was honored as the American Cancer Society's Humanitarian of the Year in 1994, plans to help the Seattle community as well as the Seahawks.

He is starting the Jim and Marie Watters Foundation - named after his parents. "I really want to focus the foundation on children," he says.

He hopes to help children who are sick with cancer and to build programs providing kids with something meaningful to do after dark. "Since I was an inner-city kid, I remember a lot of times when we didn't have much to do after dark but get in trouble. Luckily I had my parents, but a lot of my friends didn't have that," says Watters.

He is excited about possibly organizing a place where kids can go, play sports and be a part of something good. "This stuff gets me fired up!" he says.

One message Watters would like to get across to all kids: "Stay in school. Right now kids see so many things that tell them to drop out of school. But those things aren't important. School is the way," he says.

Facts About Ricky Watters: 1. He was born in Harrisburg, Pa., on April 7, 1969. 2. He is engaged to be married on May 8, 1999. 3. His childhood role models include his parents and Walter Payton. 4. He went to Catholic schools from elementary school through college. 5. His full name is Richard James Watters. 6. He has one older sister named Rhonda. 7. He graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in graphic design.

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Did you hear the one? Q. What do you get when you cross a polar bear with a hockey player? A. I don't know, but when he goes to score a goal, nobody stops him.

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Your Words: We asked readers to write a poem about fall. Here is a poem by Molly McNeilly, 11, of Bothell:

FALL

Fall is here. Leaves are changing, soccer starts. Birds migrating. It's not quite warm, and it's not quite cold. To some people Summer days are getting old. Then comes the new school year. Some frown in disgust, but some glow with cheer.

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Write to Wordy: How do you feel about Halloween, dressing up and trick-or-treating? Is it fun for you, or does it freak you out? Tell us in an essay using 100 words or fewer. Send essays to My Words, c/o The Seattle Times, P.O. Box 1138, Seattle, WA 98111. The deadline is Oct. 5.

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Sports Crossword Puzzle: ACROSS: 1. Tiger Woods is a star in this sport. 2. A sport where men and women show tumbling ability, strength and flexibility. 3. A team sport invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith using peach baskets for hoops. 4. The backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle are all events in this racing sport.

DOWN: 5. A rough sport, in which professional teams compete for the Stanley Cup. The U.S. women's team won the gold medal in this sport in the 1998 Winter Olympics. 6. A goal-oriented sport played by many boys and girls this time of year. It is called football in many other countries. 7. A sport in which "love" means zero. 8. A sport where men and women compete to see who can run the fastest in many different distances. 9. An American game in which touchdowns and field goals are ways to score points. 10. A sport in which stealing is allowed and getting the runs is good.

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Read On! For more fun with sports, check out "Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman," by Kathleen Krull.