Bill O'Brien Houston Texas' coach give Watson high marks
Jun 23, 2017, 2:21 PM
During a lengthy interview this week on the state of the Texans after their offseason program, coach Bill O'Brien talked about how impressed he's been with rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson.
O'Brien praised the Clemson coaches for Watson's development in college, providing him with a solid foundation for the NFL.
"He had to learn a pretty sophisticated offense at Clemson," O'Brien said. "He had to do a lot of things at the line of scrimmage. I think he was trained really well. That's a credit to the Clemson staff.
"He'd already been in some big games when he got here. When he came here, he put his head down and came to work every day."
Not only has O'Brien been impressed with Watson's talent and ability to excel in big games like the national championship victory over Alabama, but he loves the quarterback's demeanor, including his confidence.
"He's a very poised guy," O'Brien said. "I like the way he carries himself. I like the way he operates. He's a rookie, and he's not nearly where he needs to be to be a full-time starter in this league, but you can tell he's got a lot of qualities you like.
"For being a rookie, he's wise beyond his years. He asks great questions in the morning meeting, and you can tell he's studied the night before. Every practice isn't perfect. He knows he needs to get a lot better. And he did get better every day during the spring. It's no pads, of course. It's not real football, but he did improve in his knowledge of the offense."
O'Brien's system gives the quarterback a lot of freedom at the line of scrimmage.
"We put a lot on his plate during the spring, and he handled it very well," O'Brien said. "He made mistakes, and he corrected them. You don't see him make the same mistake twice.