NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels sparked relationship rumors with USC Trojans star JuJu Watkins after attending her second game in two months at the NCAA tournament last week.
The pair were all smiles while interacting in the stands before Daniels’ mother, Regina, interrupted the conversation, drawing mixed reactions from the fans. However, former NFL MVP Cam Newton termed it “great parenting.”
Cam Newton Has No Issues With Regina’s Parenting of Jayden Daniels
Daniels showed up at USC’s first-round home game against UNC Greensboro at Galen Center in California on March 22. He watched Watkins put up 22 points and eight rebounds to help the Trojans cruise to a 71-25 win.
The Commanders quarterback was later spotted sitting with Watkins while watching No. 9 seed Mississippi State beat No. 8 seed California 59-46. The two were seen smiling together in the stands when Regina sat between them.
The moment went viral over the internet, and while some questioned Regina’s action, others termed it great parenting – including Newton. However, the former NFL QB questioned that when the likes of Deion Sanders, LeBron James, and LaVar Ball did something similar, they were treated differently.
“You know what I don’t like about this? We call this great parenting—and that is great parenting—but when Deion Sanders does that, when LeBron James does that, when LaVar Ball does that, that’s a problem,” he said on the latest episode of 4th & 1.
“Now, man it ain’t no problem, you better protect that bag, you better protect that a*s… She [Daniels’ mom] can be the key ingredient to not having a sophomore slump…They look good for each other, if you ask me,” he added.
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Whether Regina’s sitting between Daniels and Watkins was intentional or not, she is protective of her son and doesn’t let anyone into his inner circle easily. But if she has let Watkins near Daniels twice now (he attended the Trojans’ 71-60 win over No. 1 UCLA on Feb. 13 as well), there ought to be something going on.
“Nothing gets past my mama,” Daniels told Boardroom in December. “She reads people, she doesn’t want to put people around me that she doesn’t feel will benefit me.”
Nevertheless, both Daniels and Watkins are single and have not commented about the status of their relationship or friendship. They do have a few things in common. Both are from Southern California —Daniels from San Bernardino and Watkins from Watts — and they’re both Nike athletes.