Tom Watkins (October 23, 1937 – October 29, 2011) was an American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the 15th round of the 1960 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa State. Watkins also played for the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was inducted into Iowa State's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. Tom lived the last 30+ years of his life living in Detroit, Michigan where he was a philanthropist and mentor for many youth in the Metro Detroit area.