COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Although he spent just one season playing football at Maryland after four with Illinois, grad transfer linebacker Tre Watson became a key cog on defense for the Terps and made a name for himself as one of the best at his position in the Big Ten conference.
Watson played in all 12 games for Maryland last season and ended up being selected as a Second Team All-American and First Team All-Big Ten after leading the conference in tackles per game (9.6) and interceptions (five). Despite achieving these accomplishments while playing in one of the toughest conferences in the country, Watson did not receive an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine in February or the Senior Bowl in January. Snubs that came as a shock to the Tampa, Fla., native and those who have seen him play.
“I certainly was surprised (not to be invited to the combine),” Watson said March 27 after working out at Maryland Pro Day. “I think the people around me were even more surprised than I was.”
The 6-foot-2, 236-pound former two-star prospect was under recruited coming out of high school and has been told throughout his career that he is undersized and not athletic enough to succeed at the next level.
Motivation is not something Watson has any shortage of, and not being recognized initially by the NFL is just more fuel for him throughout the pre-draft process.
“Everything adds to the fire,” Watson said. “Not being ranked high coming into Maryland even. So I’ve dealt with a lot of those same things. So it’s just another bump in the road but [pro day] was a big relief and an opportunity to overcome those things.”
Watson knows he wasn’t on anyone’s draft radar even a few months ago, and recognizes the uphill battle he has had to climb to get to where he’s at. But he never doubted himself and is proud of his college accolades. Now Watson is ready to translate his success into the NFL.
“Coming into the year, expectations for me from the outside were low, but my expectations remained as high as ever,” Watson said. “I hold myself to a high standard and I feel like this year I was able to accomplish a lot of the things that I know were in my ability to do to help this team win football games and overcome what was an incredible situation for us. You dream about becoming an All-American and being First Team All-Conference. Those are things that you sit in your bed as a little kid, you know, you do those things in video games and I’m doing those things in real life. So it’s an incredible honor and it has just been a heck of a lot of fun this year.”
Watson was eager to display the hard work he has put in this offseason at Maryland Pro Day after being left out of the combine and Senior Bowl. The last time he was able to show off his talent to NFL scouts was in January at the East-West Shrine Game in Florida, where he performed well. Watson showed good hips and footwork during drills at pro day in College Park, and his unofficial 4.73 40-yard dash also impressed the scouts from 29 NFL teams in attendance.
His performance earned him a local pro day invitation from the Baltimore Ravens and an upcoming Top-30 visit with the New York Giants. It has been reported that scouts from the Indianapolis Colts and Oakland Raiders also spent one-on-one time with Watson after his pro day workout.
“I’ve had conversations with a lot of teams, especially at the East-West Shrine (Game),” Watson said. “I was able to talk to a lot of them and I’ve stayed in touch throughout the offseason. Off the top of my head right now, I’d say there’s been probably seven or eight teams that have contacted me and are trying to set up Top-30 visits as well as other visits. I live in Florida and there are three teams there so I’m going to try and see as many of them as I can and I’m looking to set up some more moving forward.”
Watson’s workout numbers and measurables will not jump off the page. It’s his football IQ and leadership that make him effective on the field and will be what he will have to hang his hat on as a pro.
In his pre-draft workouts and meetings with NFL teams, Watson hopes scouts will see his knowledge of the game and savviness as a player.
“I’m a complete football player,” Watson said. “I hope to show that even though I’m not the freak athlete that a lot of guys like to look at these days I’m someone that can play the game of football really well. And all of the things I did in my testing and drills translates into my film, which I’m really comfortable with.
“Just my ability to be versatile, be able to be plugged into different situations. Offenses play all types of personnels. They have all types of formations and a linebacker may need to be lined up anywhere--on the ball, in the slot, off the ball, doing all of those kind of different things. Being someone who has a multitude of skill sets that I can apply at that level will help me stay on the field longer and help me play on third downs and just help me be a contributor instead of just someone who’s sitting on the roster.
Watson was hesitant to compare himself to any current or former NFL linebackers, but he did mention a few players that he tries to match the “tenacious” and “physical” nature of, players such as Luke Kuechly, Patrick Willis, and defensive back Tyrann Mathieu.
But at the end of the day, Watson is looking to become his own tenacious and physical self in the NFL and help whatever team gives him a shot win games.
“I wouldn’t say there’s one (player) I pattern my game after; I like to be my own kind of player,” Watson said. “I like to be someone that can do a multitude of things and make plays. That’s something I feel like I did a lot this year and have always set out to do, just find a way to help my team win.”
