Greatness is fleeting.
Whether a brilliant scientist like Albert Einstein, or a writer like William Faulkner, or an athlete in any sport, we all know that those with extraordinary talent are living on borrowed time. Not because any of us want it to be that way, but because it is inevitable. The inspiration, desire, heart, and physical ability to remain at the pinnacle of any endeavor is grueling and, often, short lived.
Which is why on Saturday I will be at Death Valley in Clemson, S.C., to watch one of our own, Deshaun Watson, now a junior, begin what could be his last season of amateurism at the Tigers annual spring game.
I could have taken the day off, which I rarely get this time of year, but I WANTED to go watch in person, maybe for the last time (at least within easy driving distance), what is being touted as the new standard for greatness.
I am throwing out the often-used “the moment was great, now the moment is over” sports mantra that all sports figures are quoted as saying to keep themselves grounded.
Sometimes when in the moment, you have to enjoy the moment.
Many expect Watson -- who is undeniably the best player on arguably the best college football team heading into the 2016 season -- to build on last year’s breakout campaign that ended just short of a national title. He also will be an early favorite to win the Heisman Trophy (along with Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey).
With that in mind, Watson will probably break no more than a gentle sweat on Saturday, as the Tigers already know his capabilities. It doesn’t matter. Watching him work his craft on the tube pales in comparison to seeing it live with your own eyes.
He was without a doubt the greatest high school quarterback I have ever seen. It was one of the few times when a high school player walked off the field or court for the last time that I felt a real sense of sadness because I did not know if I would ever get a chance to see him play live again. The last time before that was when East Hall basketball star Walter Hill walked off the court in Macon.
Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long to see Deshaun. The Tigers opened their 2014 season against Georgia at Sanford Stadium less than a year later, and I made it a point to be there to watch him in person as he made his Clemson debut.
As expected, he did not disappoint. Even then, as a college freshman, you could see he was going to be something special. He drove the Tigers to a touchdown on his opening series.
The Tigers lost but Watson was undoubtedly the star, evidenced by the more than two dozen reporters crowded around him at the post-game interview. He drew almost as much attention as Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and then-Georgia coach Mark Richt.
Typically, freshmen aren’t given much media access, being freshmen and all. But this was obviously different.
While we were waiting for him in the crowded area next to the elevators at Sanford Stadium, it made me recall my first-ever exposure to Watson. He was a tall, lanky 8-year-old in the Gainesville Parks and Rec flag football league. He played for the Ravens. I coached the Cowboys.
The first four plays the Ravens had it, he ran for two touchdowns and threw two more. The fifth was the only time we stopped him when my son, Jeremy, roughly half Deshaun’s size and two years younger, managed to grab his flag on an eyes-closed, matador attempt.
Deshaun played defense the rest of the game and was more than instrumental in us not completing a single pass and being shutout. But we weren’t the only team that couldn’t stop him. Current Gainesville High golfing standout Spencer Ralston, who played for the Raiders at the time, said they did not fare much better.
“You knew Deshaun was going to be great then,” Ralston recalled in a recent interview. “No one could stop him. I think he scored every time he touched it against us. When we weren’t playing, we all watched him.”
And the former Gainesville High standout has only continued to live up our lofty expectations for him on the collegiate level -- providing us all a knowing smile when national pundits go all slack-jawed at his feats ... If only Georgia had acted sooner. Alas, that’s another story for another time.
Watching greatness before your eyes transcends all loyalties. It was a tough night for me during the National Championship showdown back in January. I’m a lifelong Alabama fan. Never could I root against the Tide. But it’s impossible to root against Deshaun.
Watson is one of the most likeable kids I have ever had the privilege to deal with. Always accommodating, always polite, ever humble. A rare combination in today’s era of social media when kids think everything they do is noteworthy and demands attention.
I may be putting too much on one meaningless game where his actual time on the field may be shorter than a long Led Zeppelin song. Again, doesn’t matter.
Greatness isn’t something that can truly be measured. But I know it when I see it.
On Saturday, surrounded by a sea of orange that only a Tiger can love, I plan on getting an eyeful, for however long it lasts. And hopefully not for the last time.
