NBC's Football Night in America features Deshaun Watson
Tonight during NBC's Football Night in America broadcast, Peter King sat down for an exclusive interview with former Clemson Tiger and current Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
In the midst of a historic rookie season, Watson tore his ACL and his year came to an end, but that hasn't stopped him from making a big impact off the field.
King wanted to know what drives Watson to do the things that he does for the community at large.
Asked about how he looks to those who have helped him in life, Watson said, “Like family. They have some part of me and my career and my story within them, and I couldn’t do it by myself.”
Watson's family was living in government housing at the time, and a trip to a church Halloween party changed everything.
Watson's mom, Deann, found a card about Habit for Humanity. Watson's mom volunteered for two years with Habitat, and eventually, the family qualified for their own home. The home was fully furnished thanks to former Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn.
Watson also talked about the opportunity to meet Warrick Dunn, whose foundation donated Watson and his family a home during his childhood. “It was an exciting moment," Watson said. "This is a guy I played with in a video game.”
The family now had a home of their own, but tougher times were ahead as Watson's mom was diagnosed with tongue cancer.
Watson talked about the day he got the news. “It was just a weird vibe when I walked into the house. I was just like, ‘Mom, what’s wrong?’ And she just told me that she was diagnosed with tongue cancer. It was tough. It made me grow up fast. Somebody has to help pay the bills.”
King asked, “Did you actually go get a job?”
Watson responded, “I did.”
“What did you do?", King questioned.
“I started working with the Atlanta Falcons as a ball boy. And then my junior year, I was a tax assessor." Watson stated.
Watson's work ethic led him to be one of the most sought-after recruits in America and his commitment to Clemson would allow him to continue working with Habitat.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney discussed Watson’s commitment to the community during his time at Clemson saying, “Right before Deshaun got here, we began working with Habitat (for Humanity) as a team. He’s been a great ambassador for that program. Rolling his sleeves up with his teammates and helping build five or six houses while he was here at Clemson.”
Watson's work with Habitat for Humanity wasn't lost on the Houston Texans general manager Rick Smith. "That’s what we look for," Smith said. "What has a guy done in the past? He is special. He’s a different kind of guy with respect to the caring individual that he is.”
Instead of trying to forget the tough times he had growing up, Watson often discusses that time in his life. "Those are the memories and moments that helped me get to where I’m at now and created the person that I am today.”
Warrick Dunn discussed his relationship with Watson: “I think we’re going to always be connected. We’re going to have a bond, I would say, that will last a lifetime.”
Deann Watson's son has a National Championship, was the #12 pick in the draft, but she thinks his best work has been off the field.
Watson closed the interview saying, "Football is a nice platform, but at the same time it's not me. What is me is being able to inspire and give back to others like people gave back to me."