Emotional No. 1 pick has passion for football

Deshaun Watson loves football.

It’s that simple for the new addition to the Texans.

The past 16 hours of his life had been a whirlwind.

From the NFL draft in Philadelphia where his name was called 12th overall Thursday night to flying to Houston on Friday morning and riding to NRG Stadium from Bush Intercontinental Airport in a limo the team sent for him, Watson hadn’t slowed. He didn’t mind, though. Every flashbulb going off, every question he had to answer, every hand he had to shake — they were all part of the journey — the one that ends with him being an NFL player.

As he took to a makeshift stage in the press box at NRG on Friday afternoon, Watson was all smiles. He’d made it. On a balmy day in April, Watson was no longer a college player with a world of potential, he wasn’t a possible high pick in the draft, he was a quarterback in the NFL.

“My emotions have just been sky-high,” he said. “Ever since I got the call, tears have been coming out my eyes. It’s just surreal to think I am officially (an NFL) player, so to be

able to be on this stage, to be here with these guys and with this great organization, it’s special.”

Watson ended up with the Texans thanks to a draft-night trade. He had hoped this was where he would end up. He visited the team April 17 and felt at home immediately.

He had lunch with future teammates, spent time talking with the coaching staff.

He said he felt like he was part of the team, felt comfortable.

It showed when he strolled through NRG Stadium on Friday.

He was all smiles, at ease, happy.

Watson is the kind of guy for whom people want to cheer.

He’s polite, well-spoken and has faced a lot of adversity over the years.

He was raised by a single mother — Deann, a cancer survivor. When he was 11, he and his family were recipients of a home through Habitat for Humanity.

Emotions on sleeve

In addition to being sensitive enough to cry while reading a letter from his mother on draft night, he is also known for being tough enough to play (and win) a college football game a few years ago with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Those who know him talk about his character before they talk about his skill. And he has a lot of skill, the kind that has Texans fans champing at the bit to see what’s in store when he acclimates to the pro level and starts playing regularly.

It will take time. He has a lot to adjust to, a lot to learn.

He also has the right attitude about it. He’s coming into the system ready to be a sponge.

“I think that’s the best way,” Watson said. “Learn from the veteran guys, play whatever role I have. But my main focus is to get in here, learning about this city, learning about this organization, learning this system, and just being the best teammate I can be. Whatever role that is, just enjoying that.”

The excitement is tangible.

The smiles spread across the faces of Bill O’Brien and Rick Smith as Watson spoke Friday and didn’t budge. Watson feels welcome. The first text he got from a Texans player on Thursday night came from fellow quarterback Tom Savage. He also heard from DeAndre Hopkins, Jadeveon Clowney and J.J. Watt, among others.

Everything about Watson’s welcome to Houston felt positive.

That’s a good feeling for a city that has yearned for a franchise quarterback for years.

An even keel

They have the guy who could fill that role. Watson is the kind of player with whom O’Brien and his staff can start fresh and build into something special.

Watson isn’t looking too far ahead, though. He said he hasn’t pictured himself “the man” on the team. But he has pictured himself as a professional player for some time.

It’s not the fame, the notoriety or spotlight that made him want to make this his career.

Watson is driven by the sport he loves.

“It brings so much to me as a person, as a man,” Watson said. “Football is fun. It helped me get to this point right now. I just love the challenges it brings.

“The adversity, the struggles. Just the teammates and the teamwork and the work that you have to put in each and every week to be able to be successful, especially at this level.

“I just love the game of football.”