Deshaun Watson thinks he was robbed of a Heisman at Clemson

Deshaun Watson believes he should have not one, but two Heisman Trophies.

Deshaun Watson sees himself as a 21st century Archie Griffin without the Heisman Trophies.

Despite being the greatest player in the history of Clemson football, Watson is already looking back on his illustrious college career, wondering how he didn’t win not one, but two Heisman Trophies. Griffin is the only college football legend to pull that off, as he went back-to-back with the Ohio State Buckeyes in 1974 and 1975.

The Houston Texans starting quarterback appeared on The Bakari Sellers Podcast as part of The Ringer Podcast Network to discuss his college career at Clemson, as well as the Black Lives Matter movement and the impact it will have ahead of the upcoming NFL season.

“I should have won it back-to-back,” said Watson. “Lamar (Jackson) had a hell of a year (in 2016). In November, he lost a couple games. He’s my dog though. He deserved it.”

“The year before, I was the first player ever in FBS history to pass for over 4,000 yards and rush for a 1,000 yards. Ever. Never been done. Johnny Manziel, Cam Newton — you go all the way back. And I came in third…It is what it is and we just kinda go from there.”

For those who need a refresher, Watson is referring to the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Watson was the best quarterback in college football in 2015, earning All-American honors and took home the Davey O’Brien Award. However, he finished in third place in Heisman voting behind Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry and Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey.

Clemson made the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history in 2015, as the Tigers played for the national championship. They lost to Henry’s Crimson Tide. A year later, Watson led Clemson to its second national title in school history, but finished second in Heisman voting behind ACC Atlantic rival quarterback Lamar Jackson of the Louisville Cardinals.

Should Deshaun Watson have won back-to-back Heisman Trophies in 2015-16?

Is Watson right to think this? Absolutely, as he will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame the year he is eligible. However, very few outside of Clemson Family really think he should have won the Heisman in either campaign he’s referring to. He’s not wrong, but he is incredibly biased. Would you expect anything else than this? Of course not. It is what it is.

What Jackson did at Louisville in 2016 was the most electrifying season we’ve seen on the college gridiron since Reggie Bush back in 2005. If Watson is bitter about losing to Henry in 2015, how do you think McCaffrey feels? McCaffrey’s snub is right up there with Tommie Frazier losing to Eddie George in 1995 and frankly, Vince Young not beating out Bush in 2005. Watson is not alone.

In 2015, Watson became the first quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in a season. While those numbers are amazing, Henry did rush for 2,219 yards on 395 carries for 28 touchdowns. Alabama beat Watson’s Clemson Tigers for the national title. Henry’s legend as being the the greatest bell-cow back of his generation began that fall and continues today in Nashville.

Despite playing on the West Coast for a non-playoff team in Stanford, McCaffrey still rushed for over 2,000 yards. He set the Pac-12 ablaze with his rushing, receiving and returning abilities. Though Henry and Watson had more team success, it was McCaffrey who was the most electrifying player in the country that season. Too bad too many Heisman voters didn’t watch him.

As great as Watson was as a true sophomore in 2015, the Heisman is a quarterback-driven award and he got beat out by two running backs. Three running backs have won the Heisman Trophy since 2000 and 2015 was one of those years. Just saying.

As for 2016, Jackson clinched the Heisman Trophy in September. Whether he flipped over the Syracuse Orange defender in the Carrier Dome to pay dirt or completely eviscerated Jimbo Fisher’s Florida State Seminoles with ESPN’s College GameDay in town, Action Jackson was an American superstar well before it was time to dress up for Halloween. Watson had no chance to catch him.

During Jackson’s sensational sophomore season, he became what his head coach Bobby Petrino thought he was going to coach in Michael Vick with the Atlanta Falcons in 2007 before prison happened. Jackson threw for 3,543 yards, 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran the ball 260 times for 1,571 yards and 21 touchdowns. Keep in mind he did this at freaking Louisville!

If Watson really wanted the 2016 Heisman for himself, maybe he shouldn’t thrown 17 interceptions on an absolutely loaded roster that won the national championship? Clemson is still contending for national championships under Dabo Swinney. Petrino was fired literally the year after Jackson went pro. Louisville was a complete and utter grease fire in 2018. They’re fine now.

So does Watson have reason to believe he should have a Heisman Trophy or two on his mantle? Sure, but it’s pretty petty to discount the other college football legends he was up for with it in Henry, McCaffrey and Jackson. You don’t hear Peyton Manning discredit Charles Woodson or downplay Ryan Leaf or Randy Moss because he didn’t bring the Heisman to Rocky Top in 1997.

Ultimately, Watson has a national championship ring and that’s really all that matters here.

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