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Nathaniel Watson

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Nathaniel Watson
No. 40 – Cleveland Browns
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (2000-09-01) September 1, 2000 (age 24)
Maplesville, Alabama, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:233 lb (106 kg)
Career information
High school:Maplesville
(Maplesville, Alabama)
College:Mississippi State (2018–2023)
NFL draft:2024 / round: 6 / pick: 206
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Nathaniel “Bookie” Watson[1] (born September 1, 2000) is an American professional football linebacker for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Early life

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Watson grew up in Maplesville, Alabama and attended Maplesville High School. In his high school career, he played at receiver and linebacker. At receiver he caught 45 passes for 1,070 yards and 12 touchdowns, while also adding 376 yards and five touchdowns. At linebacker he racked up 70 tackles and four interceptions, returning two of them for touchdowns.[2] Watson committed to play college football at Mississippi State over schools such as Auburn and Ole Miss.[3][4]

College career

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Watson played sparingly in his first two seasons at Mississippi State in 2018 and 2019, recording a combined five tackles, with one going for loss.[5][6] In the 2020 season, he tallied 39 tackles with three being for a loss, and a pass deflection.[7] In week seven of the 2021 season, Watson had a breakout game posting 16 tackles with one going for a loss, and a sack, though the Bulldogs lost to #5 Alabama 49–9.[8][9] He finished the 2021 season with 83 tackles with six going for a loss, five sacks, and a pass deflection.[10] Watson recorded his first interception in week two of the 2022 season, picking off Jayden de Laura and returning it 51 yards, as he helped Mississippi State beat Arizona.[11] In week five, Watson had a forced fumble in the redzone in the second quarter, but was later ejected in the second half on a controversial targeting call on quarterback Max Johnson, though the Bulldogs beat Texas A&M 42–24.[12][13] Watson finished his breakout 2022 season with 133 tackles with 12 being for a loss, six sacks, a pass deflection, an interception, and a forced fumble.[14] For his performance, Watson was named second team all-SEC.[15] Watson was named preseason second-team all-SEC ahead of the 2023 season.[16] Watson was also named a preseason fourth team all-American by Athlon Sports.[17] Watson was also named to multiple award watch lists, such as for the Lombardi Award and the Bednarik Award.[18][19]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 2+1⁄4 in
(1.89 m) 		233 lb
(106 kg) 		32+7⁄8 in
(0.84 m) 		9+7⁄8 in
(0.25 m)		 4.63 s 1.59 s 2.70 s 4.44 s 7.34 s 31.0 in
(0.79 m)		 9 ft 3 in
(2.82 m)		 16 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[20][21]

Watson was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round with the 206th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.[22] He was waived on September 19, 2024, and re-signed to the practice squad.[23] He was promoted to the active roster on October 2.

Personal life

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Watson's uncle Harold Morrow played in the NFL as a fullback from 1996 to 2005. His great uncle is Tommie Agee, who played in the NFL as a running back from 1988 to 1994, and won Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII with the Dallas Cowboys.[24]

On August 15, 2023, Watson was arrested by the Mississippi State University Police Department on suspicion of driving under the influence.[25][26]

References

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  1. ^ "Nathaniel Watson - Football". Mississippi State. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  2. ^ Sammon, Will (August 17, 2017). "Mississippi State adds 3-star Alabama athlete Nathaniel Watson". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  3. ^ Champlin, Drew (August 17, 2017). "Watch the moment Nathaniel Watson commits to his SEC coach". AL.com. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  4. ^ "Alabama athlete commits to MSU". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. August 17, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  5. ^ "Nathaniel Watson 2018 Game Logs". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  6. ^ "Nathaniel Watson 2019 Game Logs". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  7. ^ "Nathaniel Watson 2020 Game Logs". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  8. ^ Hall, Erik (October 16, 2021). "No. 5 Alabama vs. Mississippi State college football video highlights, final score". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  9. ^ "Alabama 49-9 Mississippi State". ESPN. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  10. ^ "Nathaniel Watson 2021 Game Logs". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  11. ^ DeRosa, Theo (September 13, 2022). "Tuesday Replay: Mississippi State intercepts Arizona's Jayden de Laura three times in victory". The Dispatch. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  12. ^ "Mississippi St. forces 4 turnovers to roll No. 17 Texas A&M". KBTX. October 2, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  13. ^ Brezina, Austin (October 1, 2022). "Nathaniel Watson ejected after controversial targeting call against Max Johnson". On3.com. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  14. ^ "Nathaniel Watson 2022 Game Logs". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  15. ^ Faulk, Robbie (December 5, 2022). "Trio of Bulldogs grab All-SEC honors by the Associated Press". 247Sports. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  16. ^ "Judkins, pair of bulldogs named to SIS Preseason All-SEC Team". Yahoo! Sports. July 19, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023 – via Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.
  17. ^ Lassan, Steven (June 5, 2023). "2023 College Football Preseason All-America Team". Athlon Sports. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  18. ^ Froyd, Crissy (August 15, 2023). "Mississippi State LB Nathaniel Watson Named To Lombardi Award Watch List". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  19. ^ Murphy, Alex (August 15, 2023). "Nathaniel Watson named to Bednarik Award watch list". The Dispatch. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  20. ^ "Nathaniel Watson Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  21. ^ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Nathaniel Watson College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  22. ^ Ulrich, Nate (April 27, 2024). "Nathaniel Watson to Browns in NFL draft: Instant grade, analysis, stats for 206th pick". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  23. ^ "Browns waive LB Nathaniel Watson". ClevelandBrowns.com. September 19, 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  24. ^ "Rookie linebacker Nathaniel Watson ready if called on, has skills to be leader on defense". chroniclet.com. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  25. ^ Krajisnik, Stefan (May 15, 2023). "Mississippi State football LB Nathaniel Watson arrested on suspicion of DUI". The Clairon-Ledger. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  26. ^ Backus, Will (May 15, 2023). "Mississippi State LB Nathaniel Watson, SEC's second-leading tackler, arrested on suspicion of DUI charge". CBS Sports. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
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