For the last seven seasons, Deshaun Watson has smashed record after record on the gridiron.
From the moment he set foot on the City Park turf as an insanely-talented freshman in 2010, the former Gainesville High standout began an elevation that has taken him from the heights of prep play to the doorstep of collegiate immortality.
From state champ to Heisman hopeful, Watson has won respect and admiration for stellar play and a humble manner. And the next month could prove momentuous indeed for the star signal caller.
Watson finished out the regular season at Clemson hotter than any player in the nation, connecting on 138 of 186 passes -- 74 percent completion rate -- for 1,586 yards and 15 touchdowns, as well as 5 rushing scores, over the last five games. It is an elevation that made him a lock for a second straight Heisman finalist appearance, becoming the first player to do so since Johnny Manziel (2012 and '13).
On Saturday, beginning at 8 p.m. on ESPN, Watson will discover whether he has impressed enough to claim Clemson's first Heisman trophy. And while he is considered by some as second-favorite to Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, the two-time defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion also has something else to look forward to in the College Football Playoff. Watson will lead the Tigers into a CFP semifinal showdown against Ohio State on New Year's Eve.
He will do so on the back of a season that has seen him pass for 3,914 yards and 37 TDs (a Clemson single-season record), completing 67.6 percent of his attempts while tossing 15 INTs. He also has 526 yards rushing and 6 TDs.
Already the owner of 39 Clemson records, the 2015 and '16 Davey O'Brien Award winner (his second straight of which he took on Thursday), Columbus Touchdown Club National Player of the Year and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award winner, Watson has set the collegiate world alight just like he did northeast Georgia.
With that in mind, AccessWDUN has produced a video highlighting Watson's exploits both from 2016 and his Red Elephants past. To watch the video, click "play" in the box above.
