The Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was drafted 12th overall in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.
Watson has achieved so much in his life in a short period of time. Nevertheless, he is famous for two major reasons. First is the obvious one, because he is a fantastic football player, and second for the wrong reasons.
He was sued by more than two dozen female massage therapists for sexual assault in 2021.
While he has settled with 23 women who pressed charges against him, two suits against him remain unresolved—more on this in the section below.
The Georgia native has signed one of the largest contracts in the NFL worth $230 million over five years in 2022 with the Cleveland Browns.
One of the most decorated players of the current generation, Deshaun, has been named to three Pro Bowls to date in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Deshaun Watson | Quick Facts
| Born Name | Derrick Deshaun Watson |
| Also Known As | Deshaun Watson |
| Nickname | Rook |
| Place of Birth | Gainesville, Georgia, United States |
| Current Residence | Hunting Valley, Ohio, United States |
| Date of Birth | September 14, 1995 |
| Age | 28 Years Old |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Afro-American |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Father | Don Richardson |
| Mother | Deann Watson |
| Siblings | Detrick Watson, Tyreke Watson, Tinisha Watson |
| Education | Gainesville High School, Clemson University |
| Occupation | Professional Football Player |
| Manager | David Mulugheta |
| NFL Draft | 2017 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12 |
| Team | Houston Texans (2017-2021), Cleveland Browns (2022-Present) |
| Position | Quarterback |
| Roster Status | Active |
| Jersey Number | 4 (Cleveland Browns) |
| Build | Athletic |
| Distinctive Features | Towering Frame, Toned Physique, Tattoos, Trimmed Goatee |
| Body Measurement | Biceps- 16, Chest- 42, Waist- 37 |
| Weight | 98 kg/216 lbs. |
| Height | 6 ft. 2 in/188 cm/1.88 m |
| Shoe Size | 14 (US)/47-48 (EU)/13.5 (UK) |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Sun Sign | Virgo |
| Net Worth | $50 Million |
| Annual Earnings | $46 Million |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Marital status | Unmarried |
| Girlfriend | Jilly Anais (2019-Present) |
| Children | None |
| Known For | Professional Football Player |
| Endorsements | Nike, Beats By Dre, Rolex, Snickers, H-E-B (Former) |
| NFL statistics as of Week 14, 2022 | Passing Attempts: 1,812
Completion Percentage: 67.5% Passing Completions: 1,224 TD-INT: 105-38 Passing Yard: 14,946 Rushing Yards: 1,731 Rushing Touchdowns: 17 |
| Career Highlights | 3X Pro Bowl
PFWA All-Rookie Team (2017) NFL Passing Yards Leader (2020) 2X Manning Award CFP National Champion (2016) |
| Merch | Signed Helmet, Signed Football, Signed Houston Jersey |
| Social Media | Instagram, Facebook, Twitter |
| Last Update | March 2024 |
Deshaun Watson | Early Life & Education
Early Life
One of the most famous quarterbacks of the current generation Deshaun Watson was born Derrick Deshaun Watson on September 14, 1995, in Gainesville, Hollow County, Georgia, to his father, Don Richardson, and his mother, Deann Watson.
Watson shared his childhood in the roughest neighborhood of Georgia with his three siblings.
They all grew up without a father figure at home, and their single mother, Deann, had to work multiple jobs just to put food on the table for them.
For most of his childhood, Watson with his family lived in a government housing project in Gainesville, Georgia, where he always played pickup basketball and football with the older kids, some of them gang members and drug dealer.
His family finally became eligible for a home of their own when Watson was 11, and his mom had spent hundreds of hours volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, helping build houses for people in need.
The family ultimately moved into a new house that had been furnished by the Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn through his charity Homes for the Holidays.
Education
Deshaun Watson attended the local Gainesville High School in his hometown of Gainesville,
He played for the Red Elephants football team at Gainesville under the head coach Bruce Miller.
His high school football went exceptionally well, and during his senior years, he led his school to the state semifinals.
His achievements caught the attention of several well-known universities, but Watson chose Clemson to further his studies and advance his football career.
He committed to Clemson verbally on February 1, 2012.
Watson had impressive high school stats, so much so that ESPN 300 ranked him as the top quarterback recruit for the 2014 class.
Along with exceptional football, Deshaun continued his education and graduated with a degree in communications in December 2016 after three years at Clemson.
But before graduating, on November 8, 2016, Deshaun, along with three other players from Clemson, declared for the NFL Draft.
Deshaun Watson | Career
Deshaun was projected as the first-round pick by the analysts and scouts. Similarly, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and Pro Football Focus all had ranked him as the top quarterback available in the draft.
Proving the pundits and analysts right, Houston Texans drafted Watson 12th overall in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
In May of 2017, Watson inked a four-year rookie deal with the Texans and made his regular season debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 10, 2017.
As expected, he performed remarkably until November, when he tore his ACL on a non-contact play during practice.
This injury prematurely ended Watson’s rookie season.
He underwent a successful ACL surgery on his right knee on November 8.
Time went by, and Watson proved himself to be one of the best quarterbacks out there, being selected for three Pro Bowls and garnering tons of other honors in the process.
However, after the 2020 season, Deshaun requested a trade by the team after being dissatisfied with changes in the coaching staff.
Nevertheless, the Texans were not on the verge of accepting their sacred cow’s trade offer and negotiating with another team. But his sexual-harassment allegations did the job and convinced the team he was not fit for the team and its future.
And just like that, Texans ended Watson’s five years tenure with the team citing “non-injury reasons/personal matter.”
On March 2022, Watson was traded to the Cleveland Browns.
Because of his sexual harassment case, Deshaun Watson was suspended for six regular season games by district judge Sue Lewis Robinson.
Deshaun Watson | Age, Height, Wight & More
Born in 1995, Deshaun Watson is currently 28 years of age.
The recorded height of the Watson is 1.88 meters, and he weighs around 215 lbs.
The Rook is known for his towering frame, toned physique, trimmed goatee, and tattoos.
He has several tattoos inked on his body, and each of them signifies a peculiar meaning.
For example, on the inner side of his left bicep, he has got the word “Ambitious” inked.
The word is enclosed inside the banner, which carries a pair of dove birds, one on either side.
According to Deshaun, the tattoo symbolizes his rough childhood, hardships, struggles, and his triumph over it.
Likewise, he has a clock tattoo on his left forearm, a portrait of a Lion on his left bicep, and lines from Proverbs 30:30 just below.
These are but a few of the 14 tattoos inked on the quarterback’s body.
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Deshaun Watson | Sexual Misconduct Allegations
The Browns QB Watson returned to practice on November 14, 2022, after nearly two years, having served an 11-game suspension enacted by the league after over two dozen women accused him of sexual harassment during massage appointments.
He settled with 23 of his accusers, but two lawsuits remain unresolved.
Watson was allowed to return to Brown’s training facility on October 10.
A Houston massage therapist filed the first sexual harassment case against Watson on March 16, 2021.
She claimed that Watson touched her inappropriately with the tip of his p***s and also asked for s*x during a visit to her house for treatment in March 2020.
The lawsuit also claims that the quarterback later reached out to the massage therapist and apologized for his actions.
However, Watson denied the massage therapist’s claims.
According to the New York Times investigation published in June, it was revealed that he had booked massage appointments with at least 66 women from 2019 through 2021.
In parallel, some of the additional women, including those who have not sued Watson, said he requested sexual acts.
One of the plaintiffs also sued the Texans in June, alleging that the team “turned a blind eye” to Deshaun’s behavior toward a female massage therapist.
As of result of all these, Watson was suspended for 11 games with no pay or whatsoever and penalized $5 million in settlement with the National Football League on August 18.
His fine and $2 million, in addition, will be donated to agencies that work to prevent sexual misconduct.
So Did Watson Face Any Criminal Charges?
Well, the Houston Police Department started an investigation after a complaint was filed against Watson.
In March, a grand jury declined to bring charges against Watson on any of nine criminal complaints.
A couple of weeks later, another grand jury in Texas declined to charge him with sexual misconduct.
The Aftermath of Sexual Allegations
The day after two of the accusers gave public statements on their allegations, two of Watson’s major sponsors, Nike and Beats By Dre, suspended their deal with Watson.
Nevertheless, his other sponsorships, including Rolex and Texan businesses, were allowed to expire.
Deshaun Watson | Net Worth & Contracts
As of 2024, the Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has a net worth of $50 million.
One of the best QBs in the current NFL scene has earned his fortune from NFL salaries and incentives and a number of brand deals.
On April 2017, Watson signed a four-year $13.84 million deal with the Houston Texans, including the full amount guaranteed and an average annual salary of $3.46 million.
Similarly, On September 5, 2020, Watson extended his stay with the team and signed another four-year $156 million contract.
This deal came with a $27 million signing bonus, a $39 million average annual salary, and $110 million guaranteed.
However, after Watson’s sexual misconduct news surfaced in the news and media, Texans traded him to the Browns.
On March 18, 2022, Cleveland Browns signed Watson on one of the largest contracts in NFL history, a staggering $230 million contract over five years.
This deal includes a $44.96 million signing bonus and a full $230 million guaranteed.
In 2022, Watson earns a base salary of $402,500 with a signing bonus of $44.965 million.
For the next five years, Watson will consistently earn $46 million in annual salary.
He is currently the fourth highest-paid NFL player.
By the time this ongoing contract with the Browns ends, Deshaun will have made more than $280 million from NFL alone.
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Who is Deshaun Watson Dating?
Deshaun Watson is currently dating a social media influencer, model, and accomplished singer Jilly Anais.
The two met while dining separately at Catch restaurant in LA in 2019.
Anais, 28, is originally from Houston, Texas, and won Miss Houston in 2011. And also, singer Jilly released her first EP titled Copy & Paste in July 2022.
Jilly showed her support for Watson on December 4, 2022, in his NFL return in the game against his former team Houston Texans.
Deshaun Watson | Awards & Achievements
Deshaun Watson has achieved a lot in a short period of time in the league. Here are some of the highlights.
- 3X Pro Bowl
- PWFA All-Rookie Team (2017)
- CFP National Champion (2016)
- Consensus All-American (2015)
- Most completions with a perfect passer rating: 28
- CFP National Championship Offensive MVP (2016)
- NFL passing yards leader (2020)
Social Media Presence
Instagram: 1.4 Million
Facebook: 231K
Twitter: 1.4 Million
Popularity Graph
Interesting Facts
- The former quarterback for Clemson Tigers, Steve Fuller, allowed Deshaun Watson to wear his retired jersey number 4.
- He has three siblings, two of whom are twins.
- His mother overcame tongue cancer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
Who did not settle with Deshaun Watson?
Therapist Lauren Baxley has reportedly not settled her case against Watson which is one of the two remaining suits.
How much money did Deshaun Watson's accusers get?
Watson had allegedly offered $100,000 to each of the accusers to settle the case.
How much did Deshaun Watson make while not playing?
In 2021, Watson made over $10 million even though he did not play.
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