PHILADELPHIA – Senior wide receiver Justin Watson has been named a third-team Associated Press All-American as announced by the AP today.
 
One of three Ivy Leaguers named an AP All-American, Watson is one of six wide receivers nationally to earn AP All-American honors.
 
A three-time first-team All-Ivy selection, Watson rewrote Penn's record books during his storied career and capped his tenure with the Red and Blue in appropriately historic fashion.
 
Watson set a new Penn single-season record with 14 receiving touchdowns in 2017. Almost more impressive was the fact that he had all nine of Penn's receiving touchdowns in Ivy League play – doing damage despite Ivy opponents knowing where the ball was going.
 
Watson also set a new Ivy League record for consecutive games with a touchdown receptions, becoming the first Ivy League player with at least one touchdown reception in all 10 games of a season. Along the way, Watson became the first player in Ivy League history to catch a pass in 40 consecutive career games – making at least one reception in all 40 potential varsity games that an Ivy League player can play in. For good measure, Watson had at least two catches in all 40 games and finished with 6+ catches in each of his final 18 games.
 
About Justin Watson's 2017 Season

• Led Penn In Receptions (81), Receiving Yards (1,083) and Receiving TDs (14)
• Scored a Touchdown 1 Out Of Every 6.5 Times He Touched The Ball
• Accounted for 47.6% of Penn's Receptions – Most of Any Player in FBS or FCS Football
• Accounted for 50.5% of Penn's Receiving Yards – Most of Any Player in FCS Football and No. 2 in All of FBS/FCS
• Accounted for All Nine of Penn's Receiving TDs in Ivy League Games
• First Three-Time Bushnell Cup Finalist in Ivy League History (2015, 2016, 2017)
• Two-Time Finalist For Water Payton Award as FCS Offensive Player of the Year (2016, 2017)
• No. 2 in FCS In Receiving Touchdowns (14)
• Became First Player in Ivy League History With Three Career 1,000-Yard Seasons
• Set Penn Single-Season Receiving TD Record (14)
• Set Ivy League Consecutive Games With a Receiving TD Record (10)
• Set Ivy League Consecutive Games With a Catch Record (40)
• Set Ivy League Career Record for Receiving Yards in Ivy League Games (2,675)
• Set Ivy League Career 100-Yard Games Record (19)
• Set Penn's Career Receiving TD Record (33)
• Set Penn's Career Receptions Record (286)
• Set Penn's Career Receiving Yards Record (3,777)
• Set Penn's Career All-Purpose Yards Record (4,116)

Watson is the third Quaker in as many years to garner AP All-American honor. In 2016, offensive lineman Nick Demes was a second-team All-American. In 2015, Tyler Drake earned third-team AP All-American honors at linebacker.