Nothing truly quantifies Deshaun Watson’s full contribution to the Clemson football team.
The tangibles are measurable with simple math – completion percentage, touchdowns and interceptions. The bulk statistics calculate the cumulative numbers for total yards, touchdowns and the like. The skill stats account for completion percentage, yards per carry, touchdown-to-interception ratio, yards per completion.
Formulas were created for quarterbacks in an attempt to quantify the total package. The NFL has a one that would give Einstein a headache, though a computer wouldn’t be necessary to explain why Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are 1-2. The NCAA’s can be done with a pencil. Watson was eighth nationally in the latest list. And ESPN created a unique calibration for quarterbacks at any level. Watson was second to TCU’s Trevone Boykin.
Because he watched half of three blowouts from the sideline, his numbers this season aren’t extraordinary, which largely explains why after starting the season as a principle in the earliest Heisman Trophy conversations Watson slid off the grid.
Now as the quarterback of the nation’s top-ranked team he’s back on the radar, though not universally. Several media outlets include Watson on their “watch lists,” and he’s high on the boards in Las Vegas where a $10 buck bet would win a hundred. ESPN’s panel favors running backs at this point with Boykin the only quarterback in its top seven.
Nearly 40 years ago Steve Fuller led a surge in the Clemson football program that ultimately blazed a trail to the pinnacle. Wearing his number, Watson could be on a similar path with a chance to exceed Fuller’s achievements on the field.
Like Fuller in the ’70’s much of his value to Clemson is linked to the final score. There aren’t yardsticks for gauging preparation and attention to detail. For judgment and sound decisions, for checking to the best protection then scanning the field after the snap and determining the best chance for success with a 280-pound end barreling off the edge with larceny in his heart.
How do you account for poise under pressure, sheer cool? His coaches and teammates said they’ve never seen him flustered or out of sorts, but life wasn’t easy and the games were his escape. Football was fun and he hated to lose, so why not look for every edge.
Listen to him for a few minutes, and it’s a hard to imagine he’s the same guy who pumped a fist and signaled touchdown when he hit Deon Cain in stride for a 40-yard touchdown at N.C. State. Yet when an opposing coach pushed him, Watson glanced back and essentially winked.
His voice during interviews is usually quiet and even, with little inflection, almost a monotone. Self-confidence isn’t an issue. Watson knows the Clemson playbook cover to cover. At Gainesville High in Georgia they ran a scheme virtually identical, and he began to learn how to identify defensive keys and read coverage.
Dabo Swinney said he was struck by Watson’s maturity as a freshman, “like talking to a senior.”
“He’s a guy that can beat you with his arm, bet you with his legs, he can beat you with his mind. He can beat you with his heart,” Swinney said. “That’s what makes him special.
“There (are) a lot of talented quarterbacks out there that maybe can throw the ball like he can and run like he can. I don’t know that there (are) many with the aptitude and work ethic that he has and just how he prepares.”
Watson studies opponents year round, not just in August during preseason camp or the week before a game. He was looking at Florida State last winter and during spring while recovering from surgery to repair a torn knee ligament.
“He pays the price every week no matter who we play,” Swinney said. “He takes pride in the little things, his ball handling, his footwork, his cadence, the tempo. How he carries things out, and how it affects the play.”
And his poise.
Offensive coordinators Jeff Scott and Tony Elliott marvel at Watson’s command and instincts, taking their plan and making it his.
“Obviously Deshaun has a great athletic skill set, but in my opinion his best quality is how quick he can make great decisions,” Scott said. “A guy that can consistently compute what’s going on in a split second and get the ball to the right spot, that’s very rare.”
Swinney believes he provides Clemson with rare advantage.
“It’s literally like having a tenth coach on your staff. He’s kind of like a player-coach,” Swinney said. “From a mentality standpoint, he’s at that level.”
As a teammate and leader, he galvanizes and blends egos from both sides of the ball.
On the best teams defensive coordinator Brent Venables remembers, that’s a common trait. He saw it here when Tajh Boyd was the face of the team.
“I think we’ve got good leadership and it starts with Deshaun. He has a lot of confidence, humility and guys feed off that.” Venables said. “I think they’ve got a good cohesion. I think you’re seeing that the last few weeks, that coming together.”
Protecting and insulating him without smothering can be tricky.
“He’s our quarterback. He is our leader,” said junior center Jay Guillermo. “We kind of run off of him. As an offensive line part of our responsibility it’s to mentally have his back, let him know and keep him confident we’re going to keep him upright.”
If Watson becomes frustrated, Guillermo may approach him on the sideline. “I make him look me in the eyes and I say, ‘Hey, man, I love you. Tell me you love me.’” It’s a little corny but it’s sincere and it helps break tension.
“I worry about him and not letting things get into his head because there’s a lot of pressure on him and the national spotlight is on him,” Guillermo said. “He handles it very, very well. He handles it well because he prepares so well.”
Nobody suggested Watson has been perfect. He’s thrown seven interceptions, though four were largely due to other’s mistakes. Most recently he muffed an opportunity to put the N.C. State game out of reach near the goal line and Clemson settled for a field goal.
“He’s not perfect. He’ll make mistakes,” Swinney said. “He’s just a guy, when he makes a mistake he doesn’t panic.
“He embraces his role,” Swinney continued. “He understands the platform he has and he also knows his success comes from his attention to detail.”
As Clemson moves forward from 8-0 and No. 1 in the College Football Playoff poll, as the numbers continue to climb, as his candidacy for the Heisman heats up, nobody expects it to alter Watson.
“It’s very easy to get caught up in that because of the big national stage,” said Scott. “To be honest I think he has inner confidence.
“I don’t see Deshaun as a guy that puts a lot of pressure on himself.”
Anyway, that’s not quantifiable.