User:Doorleym1/Christian Watson
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No. 9 – Green Bay Packers | |||||||||
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Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||
Born: | Phoenix, Arizona | May 12, 1999||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
Weight: | 208 lb (94 kg) | ||||||||
Career information | |||||||||
High school: | Henry B. Plant (Tampa, Florida) | ||||||||
College: | North Dakota State (2017–2021) | ||||||||
NFL draft: | 2022 / Round: 2 / Pick: 34 | ||||||||
Career history | |||||||||
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Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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Career NFL statistics as of Week 9, 2022 | |||||||||
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Player stats at PFR |
Article Draft
Lead
Christian Justus Watson (born May 12, 1999) is an American football wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played high school football at Henry B. Plant High School and played college football at North Dakota State.[1]
Article body
Early life and high school career
Watson was born in Phoenix, Arizona and grew up in Tampa, Florida. While living in Florida, Watson attended Henry B. Plant High School.[2] Watson enjoyed being active, especially while playing football. Although Watson was on Junior Varsity for his first two years of high school, he was able to play varsity for both his Junior and Senior seasons.[3] He began his freshman year at 5-foot-9 and ended his senior season at 6-foot-2.[4] The time between his junior and senior year, Watson gained twenty pounds. His growth allowed him to be more successful on the field, where he caught 23 passes for 393 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior.[5][6] He graduated from Henry B. Plant High School in 2017.[7]
Recruiting
While being recruited, many schools looked over Christian and did not want to give him a chance.[8] Atif Austin, a former wide receiver coach at North Dakota State University, gave Christian his first offer. Christian and his father, Tim Watson, traveled up to the NDSU campus for a visit. In July 2016, during the summer before his senior year, Christian verbally committed to NDSU.[9] Watson's high school has produced several Division I and NFL athletes from their program, and he was their next big prospect.[10]
High school statistics
Season | GP | Receiving | Rushing | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
2016 | 3 | 4 | 63 | 15.8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
2017 | 13 | 23 | 393 | 17.1 | 8 | 3 | 53 | 17.7 | 0 |
Career | 16 | 27 | 456 | 16.9 | 10 | 3 | 53 | 17.7 | 0 |
Source:[11] |
College career
Watson redshirted his true freshman season. As a redshirt freshman, he caught nine passes for 165 yards as the Bison won the 2018 FCS national championship.[12] As a redshirt sophomore, Watson caught 34 passes for 732 yards and six touchdowns and was named second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC).[13]
He had 19 catches for 442 yards and one touchdown and was named first-team All-MVFC and 1st team All-American(AP) as an All-Purpose player in his redshirt junior season, which was shortened and played in early 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] He repeated as a first-team All-MVFC selection, and was named second-team All-American(AP) after catching 43 passes for 801 yards and seven touchdowns in his redshirt senior season.[15] Watson and the Bison won the 2021 FCS national championship, beating Montana State 38-10.[16] He missed almost the entire postseason in his senior season.[17] Watson also played in the 2022 Senior Bowl where he was voted National WR of the Week.[18]
College statistics
North Dakota State Bison | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | GP | Receiving | Rushing | ||||||
Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
2018 | 14 | 9 | 165 | 18.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
2019 | 16 | 34 | 732 | 21.5 | 6 | 13 | 162 | 12.5 | 1 |
2020 | 10 | 19 | 442 | 23.3 | 1 | 21 | 116 | 5.5 | 0 |
2021 | 12 | 43 | 801 | 18.6 | 7 | 15 | 114 | 7.6 | 1 |
Career | 52 | 105 | 2,140 | 20.4 | 14 | 49 | 392 | 8.0 | 2 |
Source:[19] |
Professional career
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | Wonderlic |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 4+3⁄8 in (1.94 m) |
208 lb (94 kg) |
32+1⁄2 in (0.83 m) |
10+1⁄8 in (0.26 m) |
4.31 s | 1.45 s | 2.45 s | 4.19 s | 6.96 s | 38.5 in (0.98 m) |
11 ft 4 in (3.45 m) |
18 reps | 38 |
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[20][21] |
During the 2022 NFL Combine, Watson was ranked 97th overall and 15th for the Wide Receiver position category.[22]
Watson was selected as the 2nd pick of the 2nd round (34th overall) in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. He was the seventh wide receiver selected in the draft.[23] Watson was the only wide receiver from North Dakota State University to be drafted in the past thirty-seven years.[24] On July 20, 2022, he signed his rookie contract.[25] Christian signed a four-year deal with the Green Bay Packers worth $9,241,031.[26]
During the offseason, Watson suffered from a minor knee injury. He decided to undergo knee surgery which caused him to miss majority of training camp. During his absence, rookie wide receiver Romeo Doubs took most of the attention on the field. Going into the season, the Packers are looking at these two receivers to be major components of the offense.[27]
In Watsons' NFL debut, during Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings, Watson, on his first NFL play, dropped Rodgers’ first throw of the game on a deep route on which he had beaten former All-Pro Patrick Peterson. After the dropped pass, Rodgers did not look toward Watson until the end of the fourth quarter. Even though there have been some mistakes, Aaron Rodgers has high expectations from Watson in the 2022 NFL season.[28] He finished the game with two receptions for 32 yards, and rushing once for an additional seven in the 23–7 loss.[29][30][31] In Week 4, against the New England Patriots, Watson scored his first NFL touchdown on a 15-yard rush.[32]
During Week 8, in the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills, Watson suffered from a concussion. Watson went out for a 12 yard pass during their first offensive possession, and he received a hard hit to the head. Although they brought out a board for assistance, he eventually was able to walk off the field.[33]
Personal life
Watson's father, Tim Watson, played safety in the NFL during the 1990s.[34] He was a sixth-round selection of the Packers in the 1993 NFL Draft.[35] During his career, Watson's dad played on the Packers, Eagles, Chiefs, and Giants.[36] His father now goes by Tazim Wajid Wajed.[37]
Throughout Watson's life, he has been known for his athleticism and excellent coordination. At four years old, Watson began to display his coordination skills while riding dirt bikes. Watson's grandfather was a dirt bike rider, encouraging him to adopt the hobby. His mother, Christa, nicknamed him "spiderman" because he was very acrobatic and climbed around everything. While playing youth football at eight years old, Watson displayed his athleticism by doing backflips on the field.[38]
Watson has two siblings, a brother and a sister. His older sister's name is Alexus.[39] Watson's older brother, Tre Watson, was a linebacker at Maryland and Illinois. While playing at these schools, Tre achieved All-Big Ten linebacker. Tre was similar to Christian in the fact that he hit his growth spurt later than most kids.[40] Watson also has two step-siblings.[39]
References
- ^ "Loyalty, character, winner: The makeup of Christian Watson and his journey to the NFL". www.packers.com. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
- ^ Putnam, Bob (January 10, 2020). "North Dakota State-James Madison title tilt has Tampa Bay ties". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ Schneidman, Matt. "What is Christian Watson capable of? The Packers hope it's a quick connection with his QB". The Athletic. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ "Loyalty, character, winner: The makeup of Christian Watson and his journey to the NFL". www.packers.com. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
- ^ Schneidman, Matt. "What is Christian Watson capable of? The Packers hope it's a quick connection with his QB". The Athletic. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ^ Hughes, Connor (February 18, 2022). "Christian Watson's big Senior Bowl week creates buzz about receiver's NFL Draft potential". The Athletic. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ "Christian Watson's High School Football Stats". MaxPreps.com. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ Schneidman, Matt. "What is Christian Watson capable of? The Packers hope it's a quick connection with his QB". The Athletic. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ "Loyalty, character, winner: The makeup of Christian Watson and his journey to the NFL". www.packers.com. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ "Loyalty, character, winner: The makeup of Christian Watson and his journey to the NFL". www.packers.com. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
- ^ "Christian Watson's High School Football Stats". MaxPreps.com. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
- ^ Peterson, Eric (August 9, 2019). "Watson, Sproles lead young NDSU receiving corps". The Bismarck Tribune. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ Kolpack, Jeff (January 8, 2020). "How fast is Christian Watson? He's 23 mph fast, and Bison football has GPS to prove it". The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ "NDSU's Watson named to Walter Payton Award watch list". Minot Daily News. August 5, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ Izzo, Dom (January 11, 2022). "Former Bison wide receiver Watson receives NFL combine invite". The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ SELVIG, DAVE. "NDSU's Volson picked in fourth round by Bengals; Cowboys draft UND's Waletzko". Bismarck Tribune. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
- ^ SELVIG, DAVE. "Bison open season as FCS favorite". Bismarck Tribune. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
- ^ Peterson, Eric (January 5, 2022). "Bison wide receiver Christian Watson accepts invitation to Reeses Senior Bowl all-star game". The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ "Christian Watson College Stats". gobison.com. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
- ^ "Christian Watson Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". National Football League. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Christian Watson, North Dakota State, WR, 2022 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ Department, BR NFL Scouting. "Christian Watson NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for North Dakota State WR". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
- ^ "2022 NFL Draft: Packers select North Dakota State WR Christian Watson in second round, No. 34 overall". packers.com. April 29, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
- ^ "Loyalty, character, winner: The makeup of Christian Watson and his journey to the NFL". www.packers.com. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
- ^ "Packers sign WR Christian Watson". packers.com. July 20, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ Huber, Bill. "Watson Remains Unsigned as Training Camp Approaches". Sports Illustrated Green Bay Packers News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
- ^ "Packers rookie wideout Christian Watson upgraded to team drills in practice". Green Bay Packers. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
- ^ R, Michael; Tribune, Star. "Packers' poor play puts Aaron Rodgers in Hall of Fame of bad body language". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
- ^ Silverstein, Tom (September 11, 2022). "After dropping sure TD pass, Packers rookie receiver Christian Watson vows 'that is a play I am going to make 99 times out of 100'". Packers News. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- ^ "Packers' Christian Watson: Wastes early opportunity". CBSSports.com. September 11, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- ^ Huber, Bill (September 11, 2022). "The One That Got Away: Watson Drops Opening Bomb vs. Vikings". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- ^ "New England Patriots at Green Bay Packers – October 2nd, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
- ^ "Packers lose Watson to concussion; Walker tossed". ESPN.com. 2022-10-31. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
- ^ McFeely, Mike (January 7, 2022). "McFeely: Once under the radar, Bison receiver Watson's next stop is the NFL". The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ "1993 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
- ^ Schneidman, Matt. "What is Christian Watson capable of? The Packers hope it's a quick connection with his QB". The Athletic. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ^ Schneidman, Matt. "What is Christian Watson capable of? The Packers hope it's a quick connection with his QB". The Athletic. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ Schneidman, Matt. "What is Christian Watson capable of? The Packers hope it's a quick connection with his QB". The Athletic. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ^ a b Huber, Bill. "Like Father, Like Son: The Christian Watson Story". Sports Illustrated Green Bay Packers News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
- ^ "Loyalty, character, winner: The makeup of Christian Watson and his journey to the NFL". www.packers.com. Retrieved 2022-11-04.