Stanford's David Shaw Impressed by Deshaun Watson's Football IQ

Every now and then an athlete comes along that just seems to naturally have that "It" factor. Former Clemson quarterback and current signal-caller for the Houston Texans, Deshaun Watson, embodies those innate skills coaches wish for.

From his first touchdown pass in a Clemson uniform to Charone Peake on the road in Athens, Ga. to his final collegiate toss to Hunter Renfrow for the game-winner in the 2016 National Championship, the Gainesville, Ga. native pieced together an incredible career while sporting the paw.

Watson became the face of not only Clemson and the entire Atlantic Coast Conference but transformed into one of the premier players in all of college football. He eventually carried that notoriety into the NFL after becoming the 12th pick of the Houston Texans in the 2017 NFL draft.

Stanford head coach David Shaw made an appearance on The Haberman and Middlekauff Podcast with Guy Haberman and John Middlekauff earlier this month and reminisced on his visit to Clemson's spring practice five years ago and his biggest take-away from what was only his second-ever visit to the Palmetto State.

Shaw left campus after his 2015 visit blown away with the high football IQ of Watson despite seeing not him take a single snap under center as he was recovering from ACL surgery roughly three months prior.

David Shaw watched a Clemson practice with @deshaunwatson years ago. He came away thinking he was a Brees/Luck football mind @GuyHaberman pic.twitter.com/qGne4dQ5Pf
— John Middlekauff (@JohnMiddlekauff) June 12, 2020

"Dabo and I are really good friends. I went to go visit Clemson the spring before the (2015) national championship game and Deshaun was hurt, so I stood next to him during practice. I've never been more impressed by a guy not practicing, ever." Shaw said in his interview with Haberman and Middlekauff. "Every play he would watch the signal, watch the play then he would give an evaluation to Dabo. He would explain what he saw, if the quarterback did the right thing or wrong thing because of XYZ, and he did it for every single play."

Shaw said Watson's vision from the sideline and the ability to anticipate what was going to happen was amazing. He went on to say Watson has an Andrew Luck or Drew Brees type brain.

His coaching resume dates back to 1995 at Western Washington and includes stops at Philadelphia, Oakland, Baltimore, and San Diego in the NFL prior to arriving at Stanford as offensive coordinator in 2007. He's served as the head coach since 2011 compiling an overall record of 86-34.

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