By Hale McGranahan.

ATLANTA, Ga. – Robert Smith was about halfway through his sentence when Deshaun Watson went down with a knee injury in Saturday’s 28-6 loss to Georgia Tech.

Suspended because of a targeting penalty in the second half of last week’s game against Wake Forest, Smith sitting by himself in the locker room going over game notes when Watson hobbled in with a team of Clemson trainers.

The senior safety offered a few encouraging words to Watson, who completed 5 of 7 passes for 27 yards and rushed for 40 yards in under a quarter against the Yellow Jackets.

“I just told him to stay positive,” Smith said. “That’s all you can do.

“God has a plan for everyone. It may not seem fair right now, but he has a plan for Deshaun.”

Smith, a former high school quarterback, recognized the pain in Watson’s eyes.

“He was hurt,” Smith said. “Deshaun, he’s a competitor, everybody knows that. Deshaun, if he could, Deshaun would have gone out there and tried to play with one leg. That’s the type of person he is and the competitor he is.”

Despite the injury, which TheClemsonInsider reported as an ACL tear, Smith believes Watson will return stronger than ever.

“Deshaun is a special player,” Smith said. “I just feel like this, right here, this is going to make him even better, because he’s going to have to fight through all the adversity to prove and show that he wants it. Deshaun and I are pretty close. I’m going to be there for him from now until forever.”