Benjamin Watson
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Watson is an American football
tight end
for the Cleveland Browns
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the New England Patriots
32nd overall in the 2004 NFL draft
. He played college football
at Georgia
.
and was a letterman in football. In football, as a senior, he caught 31 passes for 515 yards (16.61 yards per rec. avg), was an All-Area pick, All-Region selection, an All-State honoree, selected to play in the Shrine Bowl, and voted Student of the Year. As a junior, he was an All-Area pick, an All-region selection, led his team to the state championship, and voted Student of the Year. He was also a member of his high school chapter of The Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
prior to transferring to the University of Georgia
where he majored in finance.
, an achievement that projects to an IQ of 156
. He was drafted by the New England Patriots
32nd overall in the 2004 NFL draft
. He was on the injured list for almost his entire rookie season for the Patriots, playing in only one game.
His two biggest plays of the 2005 season came in the playoffs. In one, during the Patriots' first game against the Jacksonville Jaguars
, on a third-down play that nearly forced the Patriots to punt, Watson broke free of one tackle to earn the first down; in all, Watson broke three tackles and outran five defenders, taking the ball 63 yards to score the touchdown.
Even more notable, though, was his pursuit and tackle of Champ Bailey
during the Patriots' 2005 AFC Divisional Playoff game against Denver
on January 14, 2006. Bailey intercepted a Tom Brady pass in Denver's endzone, and proceeded to run it down the full length of the (near) side-line, towards New England's endzone. At the time of the interception, Watson was on the opposite side of the field from Bailey (on the far side-line), and so he had to take a diagonal pursuit the full (diagonal) length of the field in order to have a chance of catching him. Watson caught up with Bailey at New England's 2-yard line and tackled him hard, causing Bailey to fumble the ball. After an extensive review, the refs announced that the evidence was inconclusive as to whether or not Bailey fumbled the ball through the end-zone, or out of bounds. Thus, the call on the field stood (that he fumbled it out of bounds at the 1-yard line). This controversial call led to a crucial Denver touchdown, and was the key play in allowing the Broncos to upend the 2-time defending Super Bowl champs. Many NFL experts compared Watson's extraordinary play to that of Don Beebe
's pursuit of Leon Lett
in Super Bowl XXVII
as two of greatest hustle plays of all time.
reuniting him with former Patriots assistant coach, Eric Mangini
. In the 2010 season, Watson led the Browns in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns (tied with Brian Robiskie
).
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
for the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
32nd overall in the 2004 NFL draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
.
Early years
Watson attended Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, South CarolinaRock Hill, South Carolina
Rock Hill is the largest city in York County, South Carolina and the fourth-largest city in the state. It is also the third-largest city of the Charlotte metropolitan area, behind Charlotte and Concord, North Carolina. The population was 71,459 as of . Rock Hill has undergone rapid growth between...
and was a letterman in football. In football, as a senior, he caught 31 passes for 515 yards (16.61 yards per rec. avg), was an All-Area pick, All-Region selection, an All-State honoree, selected to play in the Shrine Bowl, and voted Student of the Year. As a junior, he was an All-Area pick, an All-region selection, led his team to the state championship, and voted Student of the Year. He was also a member of his high school chapter of The Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
College career
Watson played football at Duke UniversityDuke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
prior to transferring to the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
where he majored in finance.
New England Patriots
Watson entered the league rumored to have scored a 48 on his Wonderlic TestWonderlic Test
The Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test is a twelve-minute, fifty-question test used to assess the aptitude of prospective employees for learning and problem-solving in a range of occupations. The test was developed by industrial psychologist Eldon F. Wonderlic...
, an achievement that projects to an IQ of 156
. He was drafted by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
32nd overall in the 2004 NFL draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. He was on the injured list for almost his entire rookie season for the Patriots, playing in only one game.
His two biggest plays of the 2005 season came in the playoffs. In one, during the Patriots' first game against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, on a third-down play that nearly forced the Patriots to punt, Watson broke free of one tackle to earn the first down; in all, Watson broke three tackles and outran five defenders, taking the ball 63 yards to score the touchdown.
Even more notable, though, was his pursuit and tackle of Champ Bailey
Champ Bailey
Roland "Champ" Bailey is an American football cornerback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Bailey was drafted in the 1st round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Georgia.Bailey is 8th among Broncos in all-time...
during the Patriots' 2005 AFC Divisional Playoff game against Denver
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on January 14, 2006. Bailey intercepted a Tom Brady pass in Denver's endzone, and proceeded to run it down the full length of the (near) side-line, towards New England's endzone. At the time of the interception, Watson was on the opposite side of the field from Bailey (on the far side-line), and so he had to take a diagonal pursuit the full (diagonal) length of the field in order to have a chance of catching him. Watson caught up with Bailey at New England's 2-yard line and tackled him hard, causing Bailey to fumble the ball. After an extensive review, the refs announced that the evidence was inconclusive as to whether or not Bailey fumbled the ball through the end-zone, or out of bounds. Thus, the call on the field stood (that he fumbled it out of bounds at the 1-yard line). This controversial call led to a crucial Denver touchdown, and was the key play in allowing the Broncos to upend the 2-time defending Super Bowl champs. Many NFL experts compared Watson's extraordinary play to that of Don Beebe
Don Beebe
Don Lee Beebe is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Buffalo Bills , Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers of the NFL....
's pursuit of Leon Lett
Leon Lett
Leon Lett, Jr. , nicknamed The Big Cat, is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos , after playing college football at Emporia State University. Lett was a two-time Pro Bowler, with selections in 1994 and...
in Super Bowl XXVII
Super Bowl XXVII
Super Bowl XXVII was a football game played on January 31, 1993 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1992 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football Conference champion...
as two of greatest hustle plays of all time.
Cleveland Browns
On March 12, 2010, Watson signed a three year deal with the Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
reuniting him with former Patriots assistant coach, Eric Mangini
Eric Mangini
Eric Mangini is the former head coach of the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets of the National Football League and current NFL analyst for ESPN.-College:...
. In the 2010 season, Watson led the Browns in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns (tied with Brian Robiskie
Brian Robiskie
Brian Robiskie is an American football wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns selected Robiskie in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft as the 36th overall pick. He was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in the Cleveland, Ohio...
).