SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Former Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson was back in the Upstate Saturday as he hosted a football camp for ages 6 to 16 at the Upward Star Center in Spartanburg.
Several hundred kids came out for the event which lasted about four hours. Watson, who now plays for the Houston Texans of the National Football League, worked with all the players who came out to get instruction from the two-time Heisman Finalist.
Watson, whose representative did not allow him to speak the media, even taught the younger kids how to catch the football. (see photo gallery)
As for Watson’s injured right knee, which he tore his ACL during a practice on Nov. 2 in Houston, everything looked good. The former Clemson star did not even look as if he had major knee surgery three months ago.
Of course, Watson has been here before. He tore his ACL in his left knee at Clemson during his freshman season in 2014. He bounced back the following year to lead the Tigers to an undefeated regular season and to the national championship game.
He threw for 4,104 yards and 35 touchdowns while completing 67.8 percent of passes. He also ran for another 1,105 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. He is the first player in college football history to throw for 4,000 yards and run for 1,000 in the same season.
In 2016, he led Clemson to another 14-1 record and to its first national championship in 35 years with an unforgettable last-minute drive to beat Alabama. Watson again was magnificent, throwing for 4,593 yards and 41 touchdowns while completing 67.0 percent of his passes. Again, he ran the ball as well, rushing for 626 yards and nine touchdowns.
Before his injury this past season, which came on a non-contact drill, Watson was setting the NFL on fire. He threw 1,699 yards and 19 touchdown passes in just five games as a starter. He led the league in passing touchdowns. He was also leading the league in passing yards before he was injured.
For what he did in the month of October, he won the NFL’s Player of the Month of Award. Despite his injury, Watson was still named to the NFL’s All-Rookie team.
Watson’s influence was evident on Saturday as many young boys and girls showed up at his camp wearing his famous No. 4 jersey from both Clemson and Houston. His No. 4 Texans’ jersey was the second highest selling jersey among NFL rookies this past year.
Watson was the first ACC player to finish in the top three of the voting on multiple occasions for the Heisman Trophy. He was also a two-time recipient of the Davey O’Brien Award, one of only four quarterbacks who can make that claim, and the first since Oklahoma’s Jason White in 2003 and ’04. Watson was also a two-time winner of the Manning Award, and compiled a 32-3 record as a starter, best winning percentage in school history for a quarterback.
He also finished third in ACC history in total offense (12,094) and threw for 10,163 yards and 90 career touchdowns. He is first in Clemson history in career completion percentage (.674), passing efficiency (157.5) and total offense per game (318.3).