Photo Credit: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire
Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Desmond Watson is already making NFL history — and he’s doing it with a smile. At 6-foot-6 and 449 pounds, Watson is officially the heaviest player the league has ever seen. But he’s not letting that label define him.
“I’m happy,” Watson said. “It is a dream come true. I feel like you can’t do anything but smile.”
From Plant City to Raymond James Stadium
Watson grew up in Plant City, Florida, and played four seasons at the University of Florida. His college career ended at the Gasparilla Bowl — played at Raymond James Stadium, the same field he now calls home with the Buccaneers.
He signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent and now lines up next to Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea, one of his longtime idols. Vea, listed at 347 pounds last season, is one of the league’s biggest stars — but still nearly 100 pounds lighter than Watson.
“I’ve felt the love,” Watson said. “I feel like people can really gravitate towards me.”
A Size the League Has Never Seen
Watson’s size has always attracted attention. He says people have often been curious about him, but also drawn to his energy. Even his new position coach, Charlie Strong, acknowledged how rare it is.
“We just haven’t seen someone that size,” Strong said.
The previous record for heaviest NFL player belonged to offensive tackle Aaron Gibson at 410 pounds. Others who came close include Terrell Brown (403), Nate Newton (401), Mike Jasper (394), Bryant McKinnie (386), and William “Refrigerator” Perry (382).
Watson is proud to make history — but wants to prove he’s more than just a number.
“I feel like my name is etched in history, of course, as being the official heaviest player in the NFL, and whatnot,” he said. “It’s a good story, but at the same time, I don’t want that to be my narrative and things like that. I want to be known as a football player, and a good football player at that. But it is nice to be able to make history, I guess.”
A Unique Role in Today’s NFL
With short-yardage plays becoming more important than ever, Watson could carve out a valuable role. The NFL saw a record 71.5% success rate on fourth-and-1 attempts in 2024. Plays like the “tush push” — where teams use extra power up front — have been heavily debated, but remain legal after a vote this offseason.
Still, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles says the team didn’t sign Watson just for those moments.
“To judge him right now is very early, and we didn’t get him for the tush push — we got him because we really thought he could play,” Bowles said. “It’s just a matter of getting him to the point where he can play more than two or three plays [per drive].”
College Production and Room to Grow
At Florida, Watson played in a rotation. In 2023, he logged 297 defensive snaps — eighth most among the team’s defensive linemen — and appeared in all 13 games, starting twice. The year before, he played 169 snaps across 12 games.
On plays where the distance was three yards or fewer, Watson posted a 4.1% run stop win rate. As a pass rusher, he finished with five pressures, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery over his college career.
The numbers weren’t dominant, but Bowles and the coaching staff believe there’s potential.
“Right now, we just have to see how long he can stay on the field, and [we] put him on a program where we think he can make some progress,” Bowles said. “We didn’t get him to say, ‘Hey, we have to put you on the field right now.’ It’s, ‘Hey, we can try to put you on this program and see what we can come up with and see if we can get our endurance better,’ and have him become a better player that way, then kind of see where he is.”
Growing — and Learning — Every Year
Watson’s size has steadily increased throughout his college years. He started at 385 pounds as a freshman, reached 415 as a sophomore, then 435 and 449 in his final two seasons. At his pro day, he weighed 464 pounds and posted 36 bench press reps, a 5.93-second 40-yard dash, and a 25-inch vertical.
Florida head coach Billy Napier believes Watson made big strides in 2023, crediting improvements in nutrition, strength training, and discipline.
“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. “And I thought he played his best football of his career. In general, I think he’s learned a lot about habit-building, self-discipline.”
No Set Weight Yet
There’s no target weight for Watson yet. The Bucs’ nutrition and strength staff are working on a plan for him during the break before training camp in July.
“It’s still a work in progress, so it is a ways to go,” Watson said. “We’re just going to see where I play best at, where I feel best at.”
Support From Coaches — and Mom
Watson already had a connection with coach Charlie Strong, who watched him during college and met with him at the Bucs’ local prospect workout.
Strong sees good habits forming — and the support of teammates will help too.
“He works, and he don’t mind working,” Strong said. “I know with his size, everybody wants to make a big deal about it. But our players — even the guys who are around him right now in our room — they just look at him like, ‘He’s just like us. He’s got to go about his work and do his job.'”
If Watson ever needs a push, there’s always someone who’ll step in: his mom, Deonzia Woullard.
“She’s just 45 minutes away,” Watson said. “If all else fails, they can get her to get on me.”
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This report used information from ESPN.
