Deshaun Watson proving what Clemson fans knew all along

Former Clemson football QB Deshaun Watson was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. He’s proving what Tiger fans knew all along.

Deshaun Watson was a catalyst in the rise of the current Clemson run of positive seasons. He was the face of the rise to the Tigers ascent into the national championship conversation for many years. And upon his leaving for the NFL college draft, he has found continued success a at the next level.

While at Clemson, he helped his squad capture the National Championship in 2016, won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (2016), ACC Athlete of the Year in 2016 and also 2017, was a Heisman Trophy runner-up (2016), twice won the Davey O’Brien Award and also the Manning Award in 2015 and 2016, Consensus All-American (2015) and in 2015 was the ACC Player of the Year.

And all the while helping the Tigers become an elite college football program in a conference that had been shadowed by the likes of Florida State for a decade.

As the 12th overall pick in the first-round of the NFL draft by the Houston Texans, Deshaun Watson has transformed that club from an also-ran into a playoff contender. He was signed to a four-year deal worth $13.84 million with a $8.21 million signing bonus.

In his rookie campaign, he was selected to the  PFWA All-Rookie Team (2017) and last year was voted to the Pro Bowl. Watson also won the 2017 Best Male College Athlete ESPY Award.

It is really no surprise to any follower of Clemson football that Watson is doing so well in the professional ranks. All he is doing there is exactly what he was doing on Saturdays in the State of South Carolina for three seasons.

Before Deshaun Watson’s arrival, the QB duties were divided between journeyman Brock Osweiler and Tom Savage. The Texans traded Osweiler once they drafted Watson and named Savage the starting signal-caller for 2017.

However, after one half in the first game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in which Savage went 7-13 for 62 yards and losing 19-0, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien pulled Savage at the half and inserted Watson. With 9:09 to go in the third quarter, Watson hit fellow Clemson alum DeAndre Hopkins with a four-yard TD pass to cut the lead to 19-7. The Texans would go on to win 29-7, but Watson was suddenly thrust into the starting role. He finished the game going 12-23 for 102 yards with one TD and one INT,

He started seven more games and was lighting up the league with 1,699 yards, 19 TDs with 8 INTs, 269 yards rushing with an additional two TDs. However, during practice, he tore his ACL on a non-contact play which ultimately placed him on IR and ended his rookie season. The Texans would finish 4-12-0.

In 2018, he rebounded with 345 pass completions on 505 attempts for 4,165 yards with 26 TDs against only nine INTs, rushed 99 times for an additional 551 yards and scored five rushing TDs. He was rewarded with a Pro Bowl nod while Houston ended their year 11-5-0 and took the AFC Southern Division crown, but lost 21-7 to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs.

And after the third week of the 2019 NFL season, Deshaun Watson was named AFC Offensive Player-of-the-Week. First, he led his franchise to a 27-20 win over a favored Los Angeles Chargers club, passed for 351 yards with three TDs, coupled with an amazing 78.3 completion ratio. To add to the drama, the Texans were behind 17-7 at the half.

In Week 4 of his rookie year, he was named AFC Offensive Player-of-the-Week, so he has now won two of these weekly prestigious awards.

So far this season, Watson is 61-93 for 778 yards with six TDs and a lone INT, but has been sacked 12 times. He has also scored two rushing TDs and lost one fumble.

The Texans are 2-1-0 and are tied for the lead in the AFC Southern Division.