Pass It On
© 2020 Deshaun Watson
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ISBN 978-0-7852-3209-4 (eBook)
Epub Edition June 2020 9780785232094
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020937450
ISBN 978-0-7852-3204-9 (HC)
Printed in the United States of America
2021222324LSC10987654321
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This book is dedicated to my mother,
Deann Watson, and my Watson family.
You are my ROCK, and I love you dearly.
CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Foreword by Dabo Swinney
Acknowledgements
Introduction
CHAPTER 1: NEVER FORGET WHERE YOU CAME FROM
CHAPTER 2: FOCUS ON WHAT YOU HAVE, NOT WHAT YOU DON’T HAVE
CHAPTER 3: PREPARE FOR SUCCESS
CHAPTER 4: YOUR WORD IS YOUR OATH
CHAPTER 5: FAILURE: THE BEST TEACHER THERE IS
CHAPTER 6: NEVER GET TOO HIGH, NEVER SINK TOO LOW
CHAPTER 7: IGNORE THE DOUBTERS, FORGIVE THE HATERS
CHAPTER 8: BEND, DON’T BREAK
CHAPTER 9: NEVER STOP PRACTICING, NEVER STOP LEARNING
CHAPTER 10: STAY HUMBLE
CHAPTER 11: FIND A COACH, BE A COACH
CHAPTER 12: REALITY AND FANTASY: MY FAVORITE GAMES AND MY PERFECT GAME
CHAPTER 13: “BE LEGENDARY”
Notes
About the Authors
FOREWORD
Several years ago, I said that any NFL team that passed on Deshaun Watson in the draft would be like turning down a chance to draft Michael Jordan.
I meant that then and I mean it now, more than ever.
That’s not just a matter of physical skills. Deshaun and Jordan both have natural ability to spare.
In comparing Deshaun to Jordan, I was also referring to more than athleticism. Having coached Deshaun for several years at Clemson University and knowing him for even longer, I realized what a privilege I had in working with a young man whose dedication and commitment to preparation are at a level that very few athletes achieve.
But it’s more than just work ethic. By how he presents himself and goes about constantly improving his play, Deshaun naturally inspires those around him to work just as hard and with the same strength of commitment. He just makes everyone around him that much better.
Phrased another way, his focus on servant leadership—leading through service to others—by both action and example is both natural and inspiring.
The torn ACL he suffered in a game against Georgia Tech illustrates the courage that his leadership embodies. We were scheduled to play in-state rival South Carolina in a couple of weeks, and I thought there was no way Deshaun would be able to play. But Deshaun kept insisting that he would be ready. We rigged up a brace for him and, in practice a few days before the Carolina game, you’d have never known he was hurt.
Going into the game, I gave him strict instructions. Get rid of the ball quickly. If you have to scramble, just go down. Don’t get hit.
On our first drive, we were at the Carolina 11-yard line. Deshaun drops back, starts scrambling, and the next thing you know, he plants his foot in the ground and dives into the end zone as he’s getting hit. I’m thinking, Oh my, he’s done. But he just pops up and comes jogging down the field like he’s out for a leisurely run.
I remember saying, “This guy is unbelievable.” It was obvious to me that Deshaun’s dedication, grit, and determination are unmatched.
At my press conference after the South Carolina game, I expressed my joy in snapping a long losing streak against South Carolina, then added: “I just witnessed one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen.”
I then told a stunned press corps that Deshaun had played the entire game with a torn ACL.
Deshaun’s leadership is not only a great example for others; he also has a natural ability to draw others closer to him.
It reminds me of the story that I heard about Deshaun’s first day with the Houston Texans prior to the draft. He sat down in the cafeteria to have lunch. Almost immediately, other players began to join him at the same table. It was almost as though they were drawn to him. They recognized that this was a player and a person worth getting to know and learning from.
And with this book, you’re getting the same opportunity to come to understand this very special young man and how you can apply what he has learned in your own life.
As you’ll read, Deshaun’s life was far from easy—growing up in a single-parent home in a neighborhood scarred by crime, his mother’s cancer diagnosis and struggle to recover, and the series of injuries from which he has always managed to rebound.
Overcoming those and many other challenges has only served to strengthen Deshaun’s character and approach to everything he does. I think that’s because he understands the value of learning from every experience. No matter if it’s winning a national championship or rallying his family in the face of his mother’s illness, Deshaun’s ability to find something of value in both the good and the bad has helped make him the man he is.
That’s how he’s become such a remarkable servant leader. He doesn’t just give orders by being of service to others in times of crisis or challenge—he inspires confidence, hard work, and a sense of belonging to something greater than yourself. That’s the best kind of leader you could ask for.
In Pass It On, Deshaun repeatedly returns to the importance of servant leadership, whether on the football field or through helping others struggling to get by in the wake of tragedy. The setting really doesn’t matter. In taking advantage of every opportunity to serve others, he knows that you don’t merely offer someone else a helping hand—in doing so, your character, faith, and humanity benefit as well.
That’s one of the reasons why, in recruiting Deshaun to Clemson University, I gave him my word that we would build the program around him. As I got to know him both as a player and a person, I realized his emotional strength and sense of obligation to others mandated nothing less.
I like to say that Deshaun is the same guy, day in and day out. What you saw yesterday, you’ll see again today and tomorrow. And as you read this book, I know you, too, will recognize how his values and commitment to service never waver.
Pass It On offers a close-up look at a remarkable young man whose rise to the top of the athletic world has every bit as much to do with character built through service to others as it does with athleticism. As you read this book, you’ll come across a numb
er of important and helpful ideas, including:
1.The value of resilience.
2.Recognizing when it’s “not your time.”
3.Failure is the best teacher.
4.Forgive the haters.
With those and other thoughts to look forward to, I’m genuinely excited about all that Deshaun has to pass on to you.
—Dabo Swinney,
Head Football Coach, Clemson University
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book would not be possible without the love and support of my mother, Deanne Watson, my Auntie Sonia, and my Watson family.
A very special thank-you to David Mulugheta, Bryan Burney, and Quincy Avery—you are the heart and soul of my team on and off the field.
So many individuals have helped me along my journey: Mrs. Maria Herbst, my Clemson advisor; high school coaches Michael Perry, Tyler Perry, and head coach Bruce Miller; Clemson head coach Dabo Sweeney, Chad Morris, Clemson offensive coordinator, and all of the coaches and staff at Clemson University; Jack Waldrip, Violet Waldrip, and Andy Miller, my mentors in Gainesville; pastors Michael Thurmond and Jenson Franklin. And thank you to the entire Houston Texans organization.
To the publishing team at HarperCollins, W Publishing Group, and One Street Books, thank you for your hard work and dedication: Lavaille Lavette, Jeff Wuorio, Dawn Hollomon, Damon Reiss, Sara Broun, Alex Woods, and Matt Baugher.
Last but not least, my gratitude extends to all those individuals, corporations, and organizations that have contributed to my efforts to Pass It On.
INTRODUCTION
It was time.
I stepped into the greenish water and walked until it came up to my chest. My white T-shirt clung to me, and I had to strain to hear the words of the rabbi over the wind that rushed past. He explained what would happen next. I nodded and took a deep breath. I was ready.
I had encountered many life-defining moments before—a football state championship in high school, a national championship in college. Watching my mother face down cancer. But this wasn’t just another experience. I knew, even as I stood there in that cold water, that this moment was more important.
The rabbi stepped forward, put his arms around me, and leaned me back. I pinched my nose as he lowered me into the Jordan River. The cold water closed over me, and then I was lifted up again. I couldn’t believe it. I had just been baptized in the homeland of my faith.
My baptism in Israel was the highlight of a life-changing visit to the Holy Land in 2019. I have always treasured the lessons history can teach us, and I was completely captured by the stories of both the land and the people of Israel during my time there. I absolutely loved standing on the banks of the Jordan River, looking out at the site where the tabernacle stood after Joshua led God’s people into the promised land. Trying to take it all in, I was humbled and overwhelmed but also felt a strong sense of peace and reverence all around me.
I knew how lucky I was to be there. I could never have imagined standing in this place when I was a boy growing up in rural Georgia with no father and a mother who struggled to afford to keep her family fed. I also knew that I wanted to encourage other people to chase their dreams, just as I had, and to see how far those dreams could take them. I hoped that my being in Israel would inspire those who started out like I did to be able to see themselves there—or wherever their version of this dream was—someday too.
As a quarterback in the National Football League, I’ve learned that when you’re an athlete, particularly a professional one, a lot of people are looking at you. And they’re not looking at you just on the playing field, although success in my craft has always been something I value enormously. I am constantly in the public view. When you’re a quarterback, people look to you to be a leader of your team, whether you want to be or not. That’s just part of the position. You’re the one calling the shots, you’re the one all your teammates look to on the field, and you’re seen as the team’s representative off the field as well. My role, I’ve come to understand, is bigger than throwing a football.
* * *
MY ROLE, I’VE COME TO UNDERSTAND, IS BIGGER THAN THROWING A FOOTBALL.
* * *
I didn’t start playing quarterback because I wanted to be in charge. It’s just the position I felt the most excitement about, and the one that felt the most natural to me, ever since I first took the field in high school. But with that role, I quickly realized, came expectations. Because I was the quarterback, people looked to me to lead, even back when I was a scrawny freshman. Those expectations only grew once I got to Clemson University and then into the NFL.
So I decided that if I was going to be seen as a leader, I wanted to do it intentionally. I didn’t want to just lead by default—I wanted my decisions to inspire and motivate people to want to do great things. I wanted to lead with meaning and purpose and never let anyone down.
Once I set my mind on something, I am totally dedicated to making it happen. As you’ll learn, I’ve been exposed to some remarkable leaders, people with the energy, commitment, and focus to bring out the best in everyone around them. I thought about the leadership they gave me, and I began to look for a common point, something they all expressed in their leadership style.
I discovered there were far more leadership styles than I had known about. There were leaders who sought input on every decision, while others were more autocratic. Some were involved in everything having to do with the groups they led, while others were hands-off.
Still I noticed common threads. All the leaders I admired commanded respect. They didn’t have to demand it—it was their due. From my tutor in college to the various coaches I’ve been blessed to work with, respect was a given. Further, none of those leaders simply barked orders. Rather, they showed me why one particular idea or strategy would work and how I could best use it. Just as important, in leading this way, they truly wanted to make me better at whatever I was doing. That really resonated with me.
I remember a conversation I had with a friend when I was a rookie in the NFL. At some point, the topic of leadership had come up. She’d mentioned that my style of leadership wasn’t particularly forceful, nor did I ask everyone around for their opinions while making a decision. Instead, she said, my demeanor was closer to that of a servant leader—someone who looks to serve those around him or her first, then turns their attention to leading. Unlike other leaders for whom leadership itself is the top priority, a servant leader emphasizes service above everything else. That appealed to me a great deal.
The term servant leader attracts a lot of buzz, but I can’t help but think that many people don’t understand what it truly means. The phrase was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf, founder of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. Greenleaf was a business and management executive who studied leadership for a number of years and determined that many leaders were ineffective in their roles. Rather than focusing on their own power and authority, leaders were far more influential when they served the people they were charged with leading. Servant leaders put the needs of those they’re leading before their own. They make sure the people they’re leading are experiencing growth. They think of others before themselves.
I embraced those ideals in part because they represented the same sort of leadership I saw in how Jesus interacted with his disciples back in the days when he was walking alongside the Jordan River. That was the kind of leadership I wanted to model: effective, powerful, and sacrificial.
One of the qualities of servant leaders is that they inspire others around them to follow their own dreams, and that’s where this book comes in. In this book I will lay out the eleven rules, or guiding principles, I try to live by. My hope is that these principles will inspire you to go after your dreams too.
Why eleven? There are eleven players on each side of a football game—it seemed like a natural way to arrange things! These principles are:
Never Forget Where You Came From: Always embrace your past because that’s what helped make you the p
erson you are today. Your roots help you identify not only the need for leadership in particular situations but also what you have inside you to offer to others—how you can be of service to them to help them grow and succeed.
Focus on What You Have, Not What You Don’t Have: Sometimes it takes the struggles of others to put into perspective all that you should truly be grateful for.
Prepare for Success: If you want to win, you have to put in the work. If you have to ask yourself if you’re sufficiently prepared, the answer is no.
Your Word Is Your Oath: When you make a commitment, you stand by your word.
Failure: The Best Teacher There Is: Winning is wonderful, but losing can teach you so much more.
Never Get Too High, Never Sink Too Low: Balance is key.
Ignore the Doubters, Forgive the Haters: Stay focused and positive, no matter the negatives swirling around you.
Bend, Don’t Break: Palm trees that bend survive storms, while other more rigid trees don’t. Follow the palm trees’ lead.
Never Stop Practicing, Never Stop Learning: Stay a committed student.
Stay Humble: Perspective is everything.
Find a Coach, Be a Coach: Once you’ve gained knowledge from a great coach, pass it on to someone else.
I’ll expand on these principles using stories and experiences from my life—from my childhood through high school, college, and, ultimately, professional sports. Although my goal is to share ideas and lessons that can be applied to anyone’s life, there will be plenty of football stories for fans eager to get an inside view of what happens at the highest levels of the sport. Football has been much too important in my life not to tell some entertaining stories that also underscore my journey as a servant leader.
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