››Through hard work and football smarts, Deshaun Watson makes the plays.
THROUGH HARD WORK AND FOOTBALL SMARTS, TOP PICK WATSON MAKES THE PLAYS
Inside the hedges in Athens, a highstakes game of stud poker unfolded with an aggressive gambit from the Georgia defense intended to confuse Clemson freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson.
It was a rarely used blitz package named after the card game with Georgia safeties Corey Moore, now with the Texans, and J.J. Green deployed at the line of scrimmage in an overload scheme designed to target Watson on the sixth snap of his collegiate career. Would Watson check into the right play in a matter of seconds?
Watson, who entered the game as a replacement for Cole Stoudt, displayed the poise of a veteran although just months removed from high school. Watson instructed running back D.J. Howard and tight end Stanton Seckinger to concentrate on pass protection. The freshman stood tall in the pocket to deliver a textbook pass over the middle for a 30-yard touchdown to wide receiver Charone Peake, who was in a mismatch against a slower linebacker.
It was the first of 83 touchdown passes for Watson — the future national champion, Heisman Trophy finalist and Davey O’Brien and Manning award winner. Acumen beyond a rookie’s years
For Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, it was more than a routine play. It was a signature moment for Watson. It was a sign of a precocious young quarterback devoted to film study, a precursor to significant triumphs that included engineering a national championship victory with a winning touchdown pass against Alabama.
“That was the first time we experienced how special Deshaun was,” Swinney said of the Texans’ first-round draft pick. “It was a really exotic blitz, very dangerous. If we didn’t get into the right protection and call, it could be a big-time sack and free hit on the quarterback. We told them, ‘Hey, we need to check out of that play and you’ve got to do it quickly.’
“Their defensive coordinator decided he would challenge the rookie quarterback. He called that exotic strong safety blitz off the edge. Deshaun immediately recognized it, changed the protection, signaled to the receivers. All within five seconds, and he throws a touchdown strike right down the middle. The coaches, we said ‘Wow’ on the headsets about 100 times in the next five minutes. We couldn’t believe he could do that as a true freshman. That was a sign that this young man was different and one of the special ones.”
Uncommon poise and acumen defined Watson’s run from Gainesville (Ga.) High School to his star turn at Clemson.
Showed potential in high school
Nothing Watson accomplishes surprises Gainesville High School coach Bruce Miller. He had watched Watson dazzle since ninth grade when he took over as his starting quarterback. Watson became the third freshmen to start for Miller in three decades, throwing three touchdowns in his first game. Watson was mature, calling audibles and collaborating on game plans with the coaching staff.
“He was special, a once-in-a-lifetime player and person,” Miller said. “He was self-motivated with a terrific work ethic. You could tell football was one of his main priorities in his life. He was so coachable, just wanted it so bad. It was amazing what he did behind the scenes to be good. He’s what coaches call a ‘film hound.’ He goes hunting for film. He can’t watch enough. He is an extremely fast learner.
“He will do some things in the first couple weeks of (Texans) camp that they’ll go, ‘Wow.’ When (SMU coach) Chad Morris was the Clemson offensive coordinator, he called me after a few weeks of camp and said, ‘What he did today, we’ve never had anyone do that before.’ ”
Prior to enrolling early at Clemson for his freshman year, Watson set state records with 17,134 yards of total offense and 218 touchdowns.
Miller could sit back and enjoy the Watson show: a series of electrifying passes and runs that lit up scoreboards and thrilled standing-room only crowds.
“The quarterbacks coach and Deshaun would go over something once, and he would remember it three weeks later and check to it in a game,” Miller said. “By his senior year, my running comment on the sideline was, ‘What’s he calling?’ He was changing plays at the line of scrimmage so much. He’s just incredible.”
Haunting film rooms and wielding a laser pointer, Watson, 21, attributes a lot of his success to being a student of the game. He enjoys diagnosing defensive schemes to identify and exploit tendencies.
In high school, Watson arrived at school at 7 a.m. to study film with offensive coordinator Michael Perry. They would have a breakfast of sausage biscuits and film to orchestrate a wide-open offense West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen favors.
As Watson digs into the Texans’ playbook, he has a ton of information to absorb. In the age of the spread offense, there are awkward moments for young quarterbacks.
They spend the majority of their high school and college careers executing freewheeling offenses. They’re accustomed to making just one read and not huddling much. Usually, their only snaps from under center are to run out the clock.
“No doubt, it’s always a huge transition for a quarterback when they get up to the NFL, but Deshaun’s football IQ is extremely high,” Swinney said. “We were able to grow our offense because of Deshaun’s mental aptitude. I watched a special on Peyton Manning when he retired and a Colts coach said he recognized right away that Peyton could process things quicker than your average NFL quarterback and that made him special. As I heard that, I said, ‘That’s Deshaun.’ ”
Add toughness to equation
Beyond his intelligence, Watson demonstrated toughness. He played through a torn anterior cruciate ligament as a Clemson freshman before manufacturing a win over South Carolina. Watson was determined to play and snap a losing streak to the Gamecocks that predated his arrival.
Watson also showed a flair for the spectacular. He once hurdled North Carolina State cornerback Jack Tocho for a touchdown. It resembled when Watson jumped over a defender and tumbled into the end zone as a high school senior.
“I’ll never forget that play,” Miller said. “Deshaun can make the unthinkable play seem routine.”
In the national championship game against Alabama in January, Watson was transformed into a human helicopter. As Watson scrambled from the pocket, his left knee collided with Alabama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick before linebacker Reuben Foster delivered a hit that sent the quarterback spinning through the air for a rough landing.
Watson shook it off and kept dismantling a proud defense.
Leaving college with a bang
The play was reminiscent of a Watson high school game that his aunt, Sonia Watson, and mother, Deann Watson, marvel at.
“He did that helicopter spin that night,” Sonia said. “Me and Deann were both, ‘Wow.’ It kind of scared us. I knew it then. I said there’s something, ‘He got a gift.’ ”
The final play of Watson’s college career was called nickel right will rope, a 2-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow with one second remaining to forge a 35-31 win in the national title game.
“It’s hard to gauge that ‘it factor’ a human being has when the game is on the line and the ball is in his hands,” Swinney said. “When you watch Michael Jordan and he’s in those situations, he’s like 90 percent going to get the job done where for everybody else it may be 50-50 at best.
“When we got that ball back with two minutes to go, to drive the ball 80 yards against Alabama, there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind on that sideline that we were going to win the game because the ball is in No. 4’s hands. He’s built for those type of moments.”