Deshaun Watson has been in the news for both his on-field as well as off-field actions. Watson is currently the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns NFL franchise after they made a deal with the Houston Texans in 2022. The Browns made Watson the highest earning player in the NFL at that time by signing him to a mammoth 6-year $230 million fully guaranteed contract. Born in 1995, Deshaun went on to play college football with the Clemson Tigers where he excelled in the quarterback’s role and put up gigantic numbers.
Coming out of Gainesville High School in Georgia, Deshaun Watson had already made an impact as he led his high school team to the state championship in his junior year and the semifinals of the state championship in both his sophomore and senior years. Overall, in his 4 years of high school football, he amassed over 13,000 passing yards and threw 155 touchdowns. He received several accolades including Junior All-American, 2014 Player to Watch and 2014 Top 100 Recruit. ESPN 300 ranked Watson as the top quarterback recruit for the 2014 class and he had received offers from many different universities before he settled with Clemson.
At Clemson, Deshaun’s 3 years of college produced a whopping 10,168 passing yards and had a 90:32 TD-INT ratio. In his college years he was a consistent performer for the Tigers and finished with multiple awards such as 2 time Manning award winner, 2 time Davy O’Brian award winner, 2 time ACC athlete of the year, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm winner amongst others. In his sophomore year, Watson came in third place in the Heisman Trophy behind winner Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey.
Following Watson’s junior year, he declared for the 2017 NFL Draft and was slated to be the first quarterback that would be selected in the draft by many scouts and analysts. The Houston Texans selected Watson as their future start quarterback with the 12th overall pick. Although Watson had 3 excellent years with the Texans after his rookie season, issues with the management and off-field controversies eventually led to his transfer to the Browns in 2022. Moreover, with the sexual assault allegations against him, Deshaun was restricted to only 6 games with the Browns in 2022 and is now setting his sights on the 2023 season to take his game and the franchise to greater heights.
Deshaun Watson’s Parents
Derrick Deshaun Watson was born in Gainesville, Georgia on September 14, 1995 to Don Richardson and Deann Watson. Deshaun’s father Don Richardson left the family when the Deshaun and his siblings were very young. As per the information available, his father has been absent from his children’s life since then and till date there is no contact from him. It is because of this reason that Deshaun uses Watson as his surname and does not use his father’s surname which is Richardson.
Deshaun Watson’s Mother
Deann Watson has spent most of her life raising her children without their father. In times of need, the relatives were there to provide support, but Deann took it upon herself to pull the family through. As it was already difficult for Deann to make ends meet, it was left to Deshaun and his older brother Detrick to help out in any way they could. In 2006, the family found some relief through the Habitat for Humanity program. This program in partnership with Atlanta Falcons’ then running back Warrick Dunn gifted a house to the Watson family.
During Deshaun’s college years, his mother was diagnosed with tongue cancer. Deshaun and Detrick took up more responsibility and worked jobs during college to support their mother and younger siblings, namely brother Tyreke and sister Tinisha who are twins. As the family depended solely on their mother’s primary income, they were unable to afford even a normal house and lived their lives in a government run apartment. The other downside to this was that the neighborhood was not a good place for growing kids as it was riddled with drug dealers and gang members. However, the upside was that Deshaun focused on his school and football as a means to escape the lowly area.
The one thing that has been constant however, is the love and support Deshaun has received from his mother all these years. She along with his siblings were present during the draft day cheering him on. In a message to Deshaun she told him how much she loved him and was proud to watch him rise through the ranks and get drafted into the NFL. It was a dream come true for her as well as Deshaun.
Currently, Dean Watson can be seen supporting her son from the stands and on social media. Even through the rough times, she has his back and continues to do what a mother does; to love and encourage her children no matter what the situation is.
