Some teams wanted to get the tush push banned this offseason, but that attempt was put on ice when the vote to ban the play was tabled at the NFL’s annual league meeting earlier this month.
A vote to do away with or alter the play could still happen at the next league meeting in May, but there might be another way to slow down the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills from shoving their quarterbacks to first down after first down.
He is 6-foot-6 and 464 pounds, moves really well considering, and he will be available on Day 3 of the NFL Draft this week. Meet Desmond Watson from the University of Florida, aka the “Tush Push Terminator.”
“I’m ready for it,” Watson said in a phone interview. “I am one of the best run-stoppers out there, and it’s not just because of what I am packing. There is some technique there, too.”
Watson became a fan favorite at Florida, a status that he cemented in his last couple of games — where he lifted and dropped Tulane quarterback Ty Thompson on a play and then when he carried the ball for a first down in the Gasparilla Bowl. He got NFL teams’ attention when, at Florida’s pro day last month, he bench pressed 225 pounds 36 times — that would have been the most at the NFL Scouting Combine had he been invited.
He can do it all. 🐊 pic.twitter.com/2B9odRgkOo
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 22, 2024
Watson also ran a 5.93-second 40-yard dash and posted a 25-inch vertical jump.
“It was a big day for me after not going to the combine,” Watson said. “I was trying to surprise some people and I think I definitely did. Didn’t even run my best time.”
His 40-time didn’t surprise him, as Watson said he comes from a family of sprinters (mom), volleyball players (sister) and receivers. (His older brother Darrian McNeal is 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds and played at Oregon.)
Watson is trying to get smaller. The Plant City, Fla., native said some NFL teams have given him a target weight, which he won’t disclose, and that he has already lost 30 pounds after coming oh so close to tipping the scales at a quarter of a ton.
count em up big dez…3⃣6⃣@desmond44271 pic.twitter.com/nLw8NMmwZR
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) March 27, 2025
A key part of his diet is paying for his gas at the pump.
“You go inside and it’s all junk food,” Watson said. “And who doesn’t like eating when they drive. … So, I try and avoid all stops and stores when I go somewhere.”
As of right now, at 464 pounds, Watson would become the heaviest player ever drafted in NFL history — and it’s not close. Houston Texans offensive tackle Trent Brown (2015) and Baltimore Ravens guard Daniel Faalele (2022) both came in at 380 pounds.
If Watson ever gets to don a size 6XL jersey in the NFL, he will become the heaviest player in NFL history. Aaron Gibson, an offensive tackle for the Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears from 1999 to 2004, once weighed in at 410 pounds for the Lions.
Florida coach Billy Napier said it’s a matter of when and not if for Watson, who never missed a game.
“He’s a unicorn,” Napier told reporters at the team’s pro day. “You’ll go the rest of your career, and you’ll never be around a guy that’s that stature.”
Spencer Rattler, now a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, found himself on the opposite end of trying to tackle Desmond Watson after a fumble recovery in a 2022 game. (James Gilbert / Getty Images)
Watson was 440 pounds when he picked Florida over Alabama and Georgia, and he is leaving some good habits that he implemented last year.
“He’s had numerous nutritionists, numerous position coaches, numerous strength coaches, and I think this past year we probably executed the best we have,” Napier said. “I think he’s learned a lot about habit building, self-discipline, and ultimately the guy’s frame score would indicate that he’s going to be huge.
“I mean, he’s 6-foot-6, and just the density and bone structure, he’s just a big man. You get to know Dez, he’s extremely intelligent and he’s got a great sense of humor and he was a great teammate. He’ll get his shot, and I’m hoping he’ll make the most of it.”
(Top photo: James Gilbert / Getty Images)
