Billy Napier’s “army” of staffers will include a former Alabama lineman.

On Friday, Florida announced that Alex Watkins has joined Napier’s staff as a strength and conditioning assistant.

Watkins played defensive line for Alabama from 2007-11, a period when the Crimson Tide won 2 BCS national titles. Napier was an Alabama analyst in 2011 before following Jim McElwain to Colorado State in 2012 and then returning to UA in 2013 as wide receivers coach.

After leaving Alabama, Watkins signed with the Tennessee Titans in 2012 and then the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) the following year. He got into coaching in 2014, as the head of the strength department at Stillman College. He then left to head strength and conditioning for Texas Southern from 2016-18. Watkins was an assistant director of athletic performance for football at UAB for the 2019 season. He spent the last 2 seasons at Mississippi State as a strength and conditioning assistant.