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Jenna Laine
TAMPA, Fla. — At occasions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie defensive sort out Desmond Watson mentioned his life “appears like a film.”
His story comes with a novel twist. At 6-foot-6 and a listed weight of 449 kilos, he is formally the heaviest participant in NFL historical past, however he will not let that outline him.
He grew up in Plant Metropolis, Florida, and performed collegiately at Florida for 4 years earlier than signing as an undrafted free agent with the Buccaneers. He performed his remaining school recreation — the Gasparilla Bowl — on the Bucs’ Raymond James Stadium.
And now he fits up subsequent to Professional Bowl defensive sort out Vita Vea, whom he idolized for years.
“I am glad,” Watson mentioned. “It’s a dream come true. I really feel like you possibly can’t do something however smile.”
Vea is among the league’s best-known larger gamers, and he was listed at 347 kilos final 12 months. No present participant within the league moreover Watson is over 400 kilos.
“I’ve felt the love,” Watson mentioned. “I really feel like folks can actually gravitate in the direction of me.”
All through his life, he mentioned it has been that manner: Folks have needed to be round him and appreciated his power. But in addition, there is a curiosity that comes together with his measurement.
“It is principally unprecedented,” Watson mentioned.
“We simply have not seen somebody that measurement,” Bucs line of defense coach Charlie Robust added.
Previous to Watson, the heaviest participant was offensive sort out Aaron Gibson at 410 kilos, adopted by offensive sort out Terrell Brown at 403 kilos, offensive guard Nate Newton at 401 kilos, offensive guard Mike Jasper at 394 kilos, offensive sort out Bryant McKinnie at 386 kilos and defensive sort out William “Fridge” Perry at 382 kilos.
“I really feel like my identify is etched in historical past, in fact, as being the official heaviest participant within the NFL, and whatnot,” Watson mentioned. “It is a good story, however on the identical time, I do not need that to be my narrative and issues like that. I need to be referred to as a soccer participant, and a great soccer participant at that. However it’s good to have the ability to make historical past, I suppose.”
The present route of the league suggests Watson will probably be helpful on fourth-and-1, some of the essential and controversial conditions. The league noticed an NFL-record 71.5% fourth-and-1 conversion price in 2024, and the “tush push” play acquired heavy scrutiny because of this — sufficient that the league voted on its existence. The proposed ban didn’t obtain sufficient votes Wednesday on the league assembly, so it is right here to remain for not less than one other 12 months.
“To guage him proper now could be very early, and we did not get him for the tush push — we bought him as a result of we actually thought he might play,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles mentioned. “It is only a matter of getting him to the purpose the place he can play greater than two or three performs [per drive].”
To Bowles’ level — Watson was a part of a rotation at Florida. He performed 297 defensive snaps for the Gators this previous 12 months — eighth most amongst Florida’s defensive linemen — and appeared in all 13 video games, with two begins. The 12 months prior, he performed 169 snaps in 12 video games.
In 51 video games with 163 snaps the place the down and distance was 3 yards or fewer, Watson produced a 4.1% run cease win price. Whereas dashing the passer, he produced a 1.2% stress proportion with 5 whole pressures and 1.5 sacks in school, a pressured fumble and a fumble restoration. He had 4 tackles for a loss in that span and averaged 1.3 tackles per recreation. On 140 go rush performs in 2024, he had two whole pressures.
The numbers aren’t staggering, however the teaching workers is interested by his untapped potential.
DESMOND WATSON GETS THE FIRST DOWN 😤 pic.twitter.com/jxJDiWXbzR
— SEC Community (@SECNetwork) December 20, 2024
“Proper now, we simply need to see how lengthy he can keep on the sphere, and [we] put him on a program the place we expect he could make some progress,” Bowles mentioned. “We did not get him to say, ‘Hey, we have now to place you on the sphere proper now.’ It is, ‘Hey, we are able to attempt to put you on this program and see what we are able to provide you with and see if we are able to get our endurance higher,’ and have him grow to be a greater participant that manner, then sort of see the place he’s.”
Watson’s weight has climbed since arriving at Florida. He was listed at 385 kilos as a freshman, 415 as a sophomore, 435 as a junior and 449 as a senior. He weighed 464 at his professional day, and recorded 36 reps on the bench press, a 5.93 40-yard sprint and a 25-inch vertical soar.
Gators coach Billy Napier sees positives.
“He is had quite a few nutritionists, quite a few place coaches, quite a few power coaches, and I feel this previous 12 months, we most likely executed the very best we have now,” Napier mentioned in March. “And I assumed he performed his finest soccer of his profession. Basically, I feel he is realized lots about habit-building, self-discipline.”
There isn’t a goal weight but for Watson. The crew’s power workers and nutritionists are engaged on a plan for him when the crew breaks from minicamp in mid-June. They’ll reassess when he comes again for coaching camp on the finish of July.
“It is nonetheless a piece in progress, so it’s a methods to go,” Watson mentioned of his journey. “We’re simply going to see the place I play finest at, the place I really feel finest at.”
Watson already has a relationship with Robust, whom he met when Robust attended his school practices and whom he sought out throughout the Bucs’ native prospect exercise in Tampa. In terms of eating regimen self-discipline and accountability off the sphere, that may go a great distance.
“He works, and he do not thoughts working,” Robust mentioned. “I do know together with his measurement, everyone needs to make a giant deal about it. However our gamers — even the blokes who’re round him proper now in our room — they simply have a look at him like, ‘He is identical to us. He is bought to go about his work and do his job.'”
Robust mentioned consistency in Watson’s each day habits will probably be key.
And if all else fails, the Bucs may have a secret weapon they will flip to — his mom, Deonzia Woullard, who additionally grew up a Bucs fan and is massive on powerful love.
“My mother’s 45 minutes away,” Watson mentioned. “If all else fails, they will get her to get on me.”
