Class of 1982

William Howard “Doc” Watson is a 1982 graduate of Apex High School who was an outstanding football player for the Cougars. He was a starting tight end on offense and a starting defensive end as well. Howard was named All-Conference and All-Metropolitan as both a junior and senior in high school. During both of those seasons, Howard led the team in receptions, and during his senior season, he led Apex with 149 tackles. 58 of those tackles were solo tackles and 22 of those were for a loss. On top of those outstanding defensive statistics, he was also able to average 21.2 yards per catch. Due to his outstanding feats, he was named the All-Metropolitan 3-A Player of the Year and named to the All East team. Howard was also an outstanding basketball player for the Cougars as one of the leading scorers on the team. Due to his outstanding abilities in multiple sports, he was named the Most Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year for Apex High School.

A noteworthy fact about Howard Watson is that he is the first-ever recipient of the WRAL Extra Effort Award. As most people who live in the Wake County area know, this award is one of the best honors local high school students in central and eastern North Carolina can receive. Howard’s selection as the first recipient ever for this award has been a source of pride for Apex High School for several decades.

Following his graduation from Apex, Howard chose to serve our country for over 20 years in the U.S. Army. He was stationed at the following Army bases during his military career: Fort Lewis, Washington State; Elite Berlin Brigade and Berlin, Germany in 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell. He served as a Drill Sergeant at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; served as an Army Recruiter in Greenville, South Carolina; and finished his service time at Fort Jackson, Columbia, South Carolina, where he retired with honors. His outstanding service to our country is reflective in his two Army Commendation medals, his four Army Achievement medals, his six Army Good Conduct medals, his Expert Infantry badge, the Meritorious Service medal and the Humanitarian Service medal that was awarded to him in 2003. After retiring from the U.S. Army, Howard completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at Limestone College in Gaffney, South Carolina.

Howard would like to dedicate this prestigious honor and achievement to his parents, the late Thomas and Edna Watson. He would also like to acknowledge Coach Bruce Worley, Coach John Griggs, his cousin Bernard Minter, all his Apex teammates he played with on the field and on the court, and every Apex fan who cheered him on. Above all, Howard gives honor and thanks to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gives him the ability to do all things through Christ who strengthens him.