Dekoda Watson facts for kids
Watson with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2010
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | March 3, 1988 Aiken, South Carolina, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 245 lb (111 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | South Aiken | ||||||||||||
| College: | Florida State | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2010 / Round: 7 / Pick: 217 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Dekoda Watson (born March 3, 1988) is a former American professional football player. He played as a linebacker in the NFL. Watson was chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2010 NFL Draft. Before joining the NFL, he played college football for Florida State University.
Contents
Early Life and High School Sports
Dekoda Watson grew up in Aiken, South Carolina. He went to South Aiken High School. There, he was a star athlete in both football and track.
Football Achievements
In high school football, Dekoda was a strong defensive player. As a senior, he made 123 tackles, which means he stopped the player with the ball many times. He also had 11 sacks, which is when a defensive player tackles the quarterback. These achievements earned him special honors in South Carolina. In his junior year, he had 102 tackles and 18 sacks. He was even named the Defensive MVP in a special game between North Carolina and South Carolina high school players.
Track and Field Success
Dekoda was also very good at track and field. He was a fast sprinter and a great jumper. In 2006, he won two state championships. He won the triple jump event and was part of the winning 4x100 meter relay team. He also finished second in the 100-meter dash.
Choosing a College
Experts thought Dekoda was one of the best outside linebackers in the country. He decided to play college football at Florida State University. He chose Florida State over other big schools like South Carolina and Tennessee.
College Football Career
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Dekoda Watson started his college career at Florida State University. In his first year, he played in 12 games. He was a starting player in one game as a weakside linebacker. He made 23 tackles, which was a great start for a new player. He was recognized as one of the best freshmen in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
As a sophomore, Dekoda became a full-time starter. He played in all 12 games as a strong side linebacker. He had 50 tackles that season, which was his highest number in a single college year. In his junior year, he continued to play well, making 46 tackles for his team.
Professional Football Journey
Dekoda Watson was chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2010 NFL Draft. This was a big step for him to play in the professional league.
Playing for Different Teams
Over his NFL career, Dekoda played for several teams:
- He started with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2010 to 2013.
- In 2014, he played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and then the Dallas Cowboys.
- He joined the New England Patriots in 2015.
- In 2016, he played for the Denver Broncos.
- He then moved to the San Francisco 49ers for the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
- In 2019, he had a second time with the Denver Broncos and also played for the Seattle Seahawks.
Dekoda Watson was known for his strong play as a linebacker. He made many tackles and helped his teams on defense.
Images for kids
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Watson with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2010
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Dekoda Watson playing for Florida State in 2009
