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> Begin forwarded message: > > From: Shane Ford <goufgator...@gmail.com> > Subject: [gatornews] [SUN]: Whitley: 'Project Des' underway for Florida > football program > Date: March 25, 2021 at 5:04:52 PM CDT > To: GatorNews <gatorn...@googlegroups.com> > Reply-To: gatornews+own...@googlegroups.com > > Whitley: 'Project Des' underway for Florida football program > David Whitley > <https://www.gainesville.com/staff/6792484002/david-whitley/>Gator Sports > > Florida's spring practice has wrapped up, and one number generated more > curiosity, conversation, anticipation and speculation than any other: > > 432. > > That's what the scale showed when freshman Desmond Watson stepped on it. > Visions of dominant, space-eating defensive tackles like William "The > Refrigerator" Perry started dancing in fans' heads. > > The Fridge was a mere 330 pounds. Watson is an entirely different appliance. > > The early enrollee might be the heaviest player in Division 1 history, which > could be good or not so good. Good if he drops down to a svelte 375 or so and > harnesses some crazy skills for a guy that size. Not so good if the Project > Des doesn't pan out. > > "Our first goal is for him to lead a healthy lifestyle," Florida strength > coach Nick Savage said. > > Project Des is a nutrition and conditioning program that could create a > monster of a football player. Success will ultimately depend on the player, > which is where another number comes in: > > 21. > > Those are the strange digits on Watson's jersey. Strange because Deion > Sanders wore No. 21. Cris Collinsworth wore 21. > > > Why Desmond Watson wears No. 21 > > Defensive tackles are not supposed to wear flashy numbers like 21. > > Watson's mother wore it when she played basketball. Her son wears it > partially in her honor, but primarily for his 9-year-old brother, Dyson. He > suffered a stroke four years ago that permanently altered his life. > > "He can't run. He can't walk. He can't talk," said Deonzia Woullard, the > boys' mother. "He's on a feeding tube, but he still has a whole personality." > > Dyson loves to watch football, especially when his big brother's playing it.' > > Did we say big? > > With all due respect to Steve Spurrier, there's probably never been a bigger > man on campus. But be not deceived by the digits 4-3-2. > > "People see that number and think 'My 600-lb. Life,'" said Evan Davis, > Watson's coach at Armwood High. > > Like Watson, the stars of that show hope to get in better shape. But it's > doubtful any of them are weight-room legends for their ability to squat > hundreds of pounds. > > "His ass was six inches off the floor," Davis said. "He has flexibility and > hip movement you don't see in a guy that size. He's a stupid athlete for how > big he is." > > Project Des is designed to excavate that athlete. What's the first goal? > > "We'd like to get him under 400 pounds," Savage said. > > Coaches don't know what Watson's ideal playing weight will be. His thighs are > bigger than the average lineman was when Spurrier was in school. His rear end > could qualify for its own zip code. > > But he's not that fat, he's quite athletic > > The thing is, he's not that fat. > > "His dad always said, 'How in the world did I get a son shaped like his > mom?'" Woullard said. > > His father is 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds. His mother weighs about 250, which she > attributes to COVID-19 inactivity and having six kids. > > Desmond was actually the smallest of her children at birth — 8 pounds, 1 > ounce. The genetics quickly kicked in and he became Des the Giant of pee-wee > football. > > Woullard remembers one game where an opposing player ended up in her son's > arms. Desmond lifted the kid up and the crowd yelled, "Nooo, Des!" > > "They thought he was going to slam him down," she said. "But he laid him down > like a baby in a cradle." > > Watson wore No. 99 until four years ago. His brother was a healthy > 5-year-old. There were no warnings he was about to suffer a stroke that would > relegate him to life in a wheelchair. > > Florida doesn't allow players to talk to the media until they've played, but > you can imagine the impact Dyson's stroke had. > > "You see your little brother being a normal kid," Woullard said. "Then he's > trapped in a body that doesn't work." > > She gave her son a speech: > > "Be his arms. Be his legs. They can't move the way he wants them to. Let him > do that through you." > > The biggest obstacle Watson had in high school was finding size 17 shoes and > a pair of sweatpants that would fit. > > "We tried to get him in some triple XLs," Davis said. "They wouldn't even go > over his thighs." > > Finding gear isn't a problem at Florida, but the game is certainly more of a > challenge. There was scrimmage video of Watson collapsing the offensive line, > but there's no guarantee Project Des will produce a football monster. > > "That's up to him," Savage said. "But there's enough there to be a dominant > football player." > > What Florida has right now is a freshman with one of the more unique football > chassis anyone's ever seen. It's too early to tell if there's a motor to > match, though there is a clue. > > It's a tattoo that stretches down Watson's left forearm. It says "Dyson 21." > > The number when he steps on the scale will always get the most attention. But > if Watson truly makes it big, No. 21 is what will really have counted. > > > <safari-reader://www.gatorsports.com/picture-gallery/football/2021/03/25/desmond-watson-hoping-become-force-florida-gators/6997047002/> > — David Whitley is The Gainesville Sun's sports columnist. Contact him at > dwhit...@gannett.com. And follow him on Twitter: @DavidEWhitley > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Sent from Shane’s iPhone > Go Gators! > > -- > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 > National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 > National Football Champions | > Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), > Tim Tebow (2007) > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "GatorNews" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to gatornews+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com > <mailto:gatornews+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com>. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gatornews/2A19A786-73B3-4130-B717-C9971A8840FA%40gmail.com > > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gatornews/2A19A786-73B3-4130-B717-C9971A8840FA%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>. -- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. 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