Editor’s word: This piece was initially revealed on April 14. After he went undrafted, Watson signed together with his hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent.
TAMPA, Fla. — Desmond Watson is aware of the place he needs to go, and one of many keys to getting there may be not stopping alongside the way in which.
Watson, a defensive lineman from Florida, is exclusive amongst NFL Draft prospects if not individuals on the whole, checking in at an enormous 6-foot-6 and 464 kilos at his professional day in Gainesville final week. That’s not a typo, and although he has proven exceptional athleticism for a participant his dimension, he understands that to have a viable future within the NFL, he should shed pounds.
And amongst different issues, which means staying in his automobile, wherever he is going.
“Stopping whereas driving,” Watson stated when requested about unhealthy habits he is tried to shed. “My greatest factor is maintain going, get to the place I must get. There are shops and lots of temptations. That is helped me immensely: Do not go contained in the fuel station. Pay on the pump. As a result of inside, it is snacks and all varieties of issues like that. Do not pull over. In case you’re on the freeway, keep on the freeway till you get the place you have to go.”
Watson’s professional day weigh-in made him a viral sensation for the fallacious causes — 464 kilos is 20 % heavier than the listed weight for the largest participant within the NFL final 12 months, Ravens deal with Daniel Faalele, at 6-foot-8 and 380 kilos. There are not any official information, however the heaviest participant in league historical past is usually stated to be former Bears deal with Aaron Gibson, who was listed at 410 kilos on the peak of a taking part in profession that went from 1999-2004.
So Watson’s focus, much more so than it has been in 4 years of school soccer, is to alter his eating regimen and coaching habits to get in higher form, figuring out that is a path to not solely his greatest likelihood on the NFL, however for a wholesome life total.
“It has been like my identical drawback — not drawback, however my identical concern all through school,” Watson stated of his need to drop weight. “I am getting extra in depth, getting a greater grasp of the issues I must do to achieve success on the subsequent stage. It has been attention-grabbing. I’ve realized loads about myself on this course of.”
He is consuming higher, snacking on peanuts and almonds. Breakfasts that was once grits and pancakes loaded with syrup at the moment are omelets with spinach and tomatoes. He is paying on the pump, like he says, hoping each pound he sheds will give NFL groups confidence to spend money on his future.
Watson, who’s from Plant Metropolis, simply east of Tampa, went to the Bucs‘ native professional day final week, his first actual expertise with NFL coaches and trainers. Bucs defensive linemen Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey watched as he went by way of particular person exercises. Vea, listed at 347 kilos, is a prototype for athleticism in an enormous physique, and he and Dexter Lawrence are the 2 NFL gamers Watson watches probably the most to see how dimension can transfer shortly in soccer.
“I let [Vea] know he was an inspiration of mine, somebody I attempt to mannequin my recreation after,” Watson stated.
Watson has proven flashes of his athleticism. In a 2022 win over South Carolina, he ripped the ball unfastened from an opposing operating again and took off operating, introduced down by present Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler. Again in Tampa for his last school recreation when the Gators confronted Tulane of their bowl recreation in December, Watson had the gang on its ft when he earned a cameo within the offensive backfield as a jumbo fullback and acquired a stick with it third-and-1, rumbling for a primary down. Gators coach Billy Napier referred to as him “a unicorn,” the type of participant you would possibly see as soon as in a whole teaching profession.
And whereas his weight acquired the headlines at his professional day final week, he put up different spectacular numbers as effectively. He recorded a vertical leap of 25 inches — higher than some defensive tackles on this draft class who weigh 150 kilos much less. Within the bench press, he had 36 reps at 225 kilos, which is three extra reps than any of 300-plus individuals on the NFL Mix exercises.
“He has athletic capacity I can not even clarify,” stated Evan Davis, his head coach at Armwood Excessive in Seffner, Florida. “The factor that acquired me, we had been doing overhead squats, and he is holding the bar at 185 kilos over his head, and he can squat down and his butt touches the bottom and he goes again up and doing reps. I am like ‘Bro, you are an enormous human being. You should not have that a lot bend and athletic capacity.’ However he does.”
There is a large coronary heart in there as effectively. He wore No. 21 at Florida as a result of it was the quantity worn by his youthful brother, Dyson, who suffered a stroke at age 5. He is from a household of athletes: His mom was a sprinter, an older brother, Darrian McNeal, performed receiver at Oregon (at 5-foot-9, 163 kilos) and a youthful sister is a volleyball center blocker at Pasco-Hernando State Faculty. He had each mother and father and eight siblings in attendance for his last school recreation in Tampa.
Wanting, even needing, to shed pounds shouldn’t be something new for Watson. When he signed with the Gators in 2021, then-coach Dan Mullen joked that he was grateful that they had gear to measure his weight at 440 kilos, saying, “He is gotta lose, , most likely a few 12- or 13-year-old proper now.”
That battle is ongoing. He would not put any blame on the Gators, saying they tried to present him many shops and alternatives to get in higher form, and he did not do an excellent job of taking benefit, staying targeted and bringing about actual change.
There’s an opportunity an NFL crew may take a shot on Watson with a late-round draft choose, but when not, he is in good place to land on a 90-man roster as an undrafted free agent. That will give him 4 months to work with NFL trainers and nutritionists, to enhance his physique whereas studying on the sector. A developmental spot on a follow squad could be a tiny funding for NFL crew — a full 12 months there pays $234,000 — and he is solely 22, so a 12 months from now, he’d nonetheless be youthful than many draft picks this 12 months.
Watson stated he is tried to deal with his consuming like an habit, to take it severely, to not take days off, to give attention to a greater life.
“It is positively onerous,” he stated. “Folks have taught me to take a look at it like one other habit. It isn’t medication, but it surely’s addicting, whether or not that is gaming, medication, alcohol. I feel that is my vice. I am simply making an attempt to come up with it. Similar to medication can kill you, this will do the identical factor. I am making an attempt to alter my life.”
He is making modifications in what he eats, in avoiding unhealthy decisions, however he stated the largest distinction is in his thoughts.
“I feel it is extra of a psychological factor, coaching to eat higher, to make higher habits for myself to maintain life and soccer,” he stated. “It is opened my eyes to see I can fulfill myself with higher issues, to not have a detrimental impact on me.”
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand spent a decade protecting the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Occasions and The Athletic. You may comply with him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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