Minkah Fitzpatrick Looks Back on His National Championship Games vs Deshaun Watson
PITTSBURGH -- Minkah Fitzpatrick will meet Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson on the field Sunday for the fifth time in his football career. Twice during his college career and twice with the Miami Dolphins.
The Steelers safety has lined up on the opposite side of the field from Watson since his freshman year at Alabama when he first met the future second-highest paid player in the NFL.
Fitzpatrick and Watson split National Championship wins in their two meetings in college. Alabama's coming in 2015 and Clemson's in 2017.
Fitzpatrick, who played cornerback at Alabama, said during a media Zoom call, that he clearly remembers his times playing against the Texans quarterback.
"He was a player that I respected," Fitzpatrick said. "He was a tough, gritty guy, that you don't see a lot at quarterback. We were putting it on him. We were hitting him. We were sending pressure. He was escaping the pocket, and we were still beating him up. I remember, every time, you can tell he was hurting, but he was getting back up. He definitely earned my respect after those two games."
Watson has since become the second-highest paid quarterback in the NFL, behind Patrick Mahomes. He led the Texans to a 10-5 record in 2019 and has earned two Pro Bowl appearances in his first three years.
"Deshaun Watson is a great player. Everything he's received is definitely deserved, for sure," Fitzpatrick said. "He can make all the throws across the field. He's accurate. He uses his fee. He extends plays, breaks tackles in the backfield and just crazy stuff that not a lot of quarterbacks can do across the league."
The Steelers face the Houston Texans at Heinz Field in Week 3. Watson has thrown for 528 yards and two touchdowns to two interceptions so far this season.
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
