Big Gator
May 2nd, 2025
Undrafted Bucs defensive tackle Desmond Watson.
Joe already has a nickname for Desmond Watson, the monstrous defensive tackle the Bucs signed as an undrafted free agent.
“Big Gator.”
And it seems, Big Gator is shrinking.
The former Florida defensive tackle will, if he makes the Bucs, become the largest NFL player to step onto a field. Watson’s combine pre-draft measurables were 6-5, 464 pounds.
Last night Watson made an appearance on “The Insiders,” seen weeknights on NFL Network. There, Watson confessed, he’s slimming down (in a manner of speaking).
“I think I weighed in at 437 last week,” Watson said.
This isn’t because Watson was sick. Watson knows if he is going to reach his dream of becoming an NFL player, he has no choice but to drop weight.
“That’s just the journey I have to take to be successful,” the Armwood High grad said. “It’s good for clicks to be the biggest player ever.
“At the same time, if I am going to be successful and max out my potential, the coaches know, and me and my family know, I have to drop weight in order to reach that.”
The following was just wild to Joe. The Bucs were not the only team that wanted Watson. And the phone calls began early. Really early.
Watson was asked how crazy it was after the draft to get calls from teams as the bidding war began. It turned out he didn’t have to wait until the draft finished.
Watson confessed he never thought he would get drafted. But teams were calling his agent as early as Friday night during the second round with offers to sign as a free agent as soon as the draft concluded.
So Watson said his agent was constantly calling him with updates on what teams were calling and how much cash they were willing to drop in his lap.
“I’m excited about it,” Watson said. “I get to stay in my hometown.”
Watson said the selling point for agreeing with the Bucs is that he believes, “I could get the most out of my potential there.”
DT Desmond Watson went undrafted… but now he’s headed to Tampa Bay.
He’s ready to prove himself with the @Buccaneers 😤 pic.twitter.com/YpCgkCyGXw
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) May 2, 2025
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:06 am
Go for it big man! Rooting for you!
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:16 am
Ultimately, the kid will have to get into the high to mid 300s to be sustainable. He could easily be below 400 by training camp with the right diet and exercise program. Who knows what untapped athletic potential he has at a more reasonable weight?
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:23 am
do NOT call him big gator plz! #1 he is a BUC now! #2 he sounds like a genuinely sweet kid , so NO- he is NOT a gator anymore! #3 normal nicknames r usually a combo of their real names, etc; AND his FELLOW TEAMMATES will do that or call him his real name-either first or last-whatever HE PREFERS!! That was goofy Joe and well, not kool-i KNOW u thought u were funny n clever-but NO NO NO
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:27 am
Go get fat sucked out with lipo surgery and get on calorie deficit…
3 months of me training him..I would have him at healthy 350..
He be putting on muscle at the same time so it might be 360..
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:31 am
I like Big Fatso better.
Get some the big guy some ozempic and he’ll be show up like Josh Freeman to camp with a 6-pack.
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:32 am
Benching 500lbs and losing 100lbs to 365lbs he just might be a force to reckon with.
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:43 am
36 reps at 225. Get him to Suh’s house and we’ll have Vita’s line mate on 1st downs and tush pushes.
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:44 am
At 350 Watson>Gaines.
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:56 am
Just looking at his frame, Im thinking 370-385 is doable….we dont want him losing strength. He sounds like a smart kid too. In goal line situations with a yard or two to go, just have him push to the right and give the ball to Big V up the middle and its a TD.
May 2nd, 2025 at 1:27 am
maybe 380 as a playing weight for this year
May 2nd, 2025 at 1:29 am
Slim down a bit and strengthen for contact balance. Lose enough weight to the point you can control it vs NFL OL strength.
May 2nd, 2025 at 1:42 am
He has a LONG way to go to become a NFL player!
May 2nd, 2025 at 2:29 am
SB~LV Says:
May 2nd, 2025 at 1:42 am
He has a LONG way to go to become a NFL player!
——–
But that’s why he wasn’t drafted – at his size, if teams thought he had the work ethic to lose the weight, he would have been.
However we live in the year 2025 – just give him some semaglutide – that stops him from overeating. Seriously there is no reason not to do that here, it’s not a banned substance as far as I know, and he’s clearly lifting with as strong as he is, so the pounds would come flying off quickly and he could be at 350 by the end of camp – if they even wanted him that small.
Literally no reason not to do that – will only improve his health and make give him a chance to have an NFL career, albeit just a chance.
May 2nd, 2025 at 2:49 am
Rod Munch Says:
May 2nd, 2025 at 12:31 am
I like Big Fatso better.
Get some the big guy some ozempic and he’ll be show up like Josh Freeman to camp with a 6-pack.
_ _ _ _
Please feel free at any time to meet up with him and call him Big Fatso up close and personal and see what happens. You might regain consciousness by opening day.
May 2nd, 2025 at 2:51 am
Suh is a dietary genius. No joke. Transformed Vea. Give him to Suh.
May 2nd, 2025 at 4:11 am
I’m sure he kept the staff busy at the FL dinning hall. Hard Knocks should want to follow this kids story through camp. Can he lose enough wieght to make the team? Added drama. HBO could come a calling. As far as Watson having Vea here helped in his decision. Talk about the right guy to learn from. Good opportunity for him, good luck.
May 2nd, 2025 at 4:18 am
Did he weigh himself right after his morning dump or after he ate his 3rd dinner that night? Huge difference…. Huge difference!
May 2nd, 2025 at 4:34 am
Wow that is one big man!
Every now and then I see a player that makes the pads and helmet seem….redundant. Look how minuscule those thigh pads seem.
Go Bucs!
May 2nd, 2025 at 5:02 am
Losing 27 pounds in 2 months means hes serious about losing weight, hope he keeps it, this pace he could be under 400 by opening day, a year from now if hes 360, very doable good luck bro
May 2nd, 2025 at 6:08 am
Dang! 4th morning in a row thunder and lightning and rain has me and the old hound housebound. So she jumped up on my well worn recliner with me to enjoy the spring storm with me and my morning coffee. Then Rod Munch joined the group and now I’m drying the coffee off my hound and refilling my cup. Big Fatso is not nice but it got me. Whatever they nickname the kid I think he’ll be fine with. He’s a smart kid isn’t he? Impressive. I will be pulling for him!
May 2nd, 2025 at 6:11 am
I’m cool with 400 pounds.
He needs to jog more. Build his cardio.
Intermittent fasting for 1 month.
Pure protein diet for 3 months.
400 pounds is his ideal weight.
May 2nd, 2025 at 6:28 am
I see lots of advice for him to lose weight. I don’t have any myself. Listen to your trainers is all I can say. He’s an intriguing prospect. Welcome to Tampa Bay. I was hoping we’d sign this kid. Now mold him.
May 2nd, 2025 at 6:35 am
For guys like me this team is just LOADED with reasons to cheer for them.
Tez..now this hometown hero…the classiest stars in the league…ME..CG..Baker..LVD..I could go on and on. We are blessed.
Rod – For once I agree with you! I perhaps go a little farther in that I also care about the kids health from the perspective of just supporting a fellow human being. Yeah it would help his NFL career but even more importantly it’s going to be HUGE for his health and life expectancy.
My only question would be if UF hadn’t thought of that and had some booster take care of it. Perhaps the Bucs training staff is on it. If not they should pay attention to the Muncher.
May 2nd, 2025 at 6:35 am
He has had this weight issue since high school. He said the same thing about losing weight at Florida and he never lost weight. He should start on PUP until he gets his weight down. Big PUPPY is a good nickname for him
May 2nd, 2025 at 6:42 am
Seminole fans having a hard time with this.
May 2nd, 2025 at 6:56 am
Beginning to love AI. Asked it the question … ‘Do you lose fat cells if you lose weight by dieting?’. AI’s answer …
‘No, dieting and weight loss primarily leads to a reduction in the SIZE of fat cells, not a decrease in their number. Fat cells, also known as adipocytes, store energy as triglycerides. When you lose weight, your body uses these stored fat reserves for energy, causing the fat cells to shrink. The number of fat cells in your body generally remains constant throughout your adult life, although there is some natural turnover of fat cells. Even after losing weight and shrinking fat cells, if you regain weight, those cells can expand again to store fat.’
And there-in lies the dilemma: for most of us, losing weight is a vicious cycle. We gain weight, thus the number of fat cells typically increase some. We diet & exercise, and if we do it effectively, we lose weight & SHRINK all of those same fat cells. Turns out to be really hard for most people to maintain their new lower weight, and if they fall off the wagon, weight goes right back up. And very often to a new HIGHER weight. Yo-yo dieting is very real to most folks.
Starting at 464 lbs, Desmond Watson has his work cut out for him. He’s already put on a lot of extra fat cells over his early life to get to 464 lbs. And I’m sure that he’s already exercising far more than any of us. He’s got a really tall mountain to climb to lose the weight and make it onto the Bucs’ 53-man roster, but I for one am rooting for the young man.
May 2nd, 2025 at 7:04 am
Great, another practice squad bench warmer for the Gator fans to overhype.
May 2nd, 2025 at 7:17 am
He must lose some weight because at this point he counts as two players on the roster …
May 2nd, 2025 at 7:28 am
Rod … ‘Just give him some semaglutide – that stops him from overeating. Literally no reason not to do that – will only improve his health and make give him a chance to have an NFL career’.
Been doing a lot of research on those recently Rod (drugs like Ozempic, Wegovny & Zepbound, the latter two that can also be used to treat sleep apnea apparently), but they’re not a magic elixir nor are they for everyone. The side effects, for instance, can be quite serious. But yes, for many they can help in the weight loss journey (and apparently with other health issues like sleep apnea & diabetes).
May 2nd, 2025 at 7:29 am
Im a Gator grad and homer, i just don;t understand this guy. It was kind of novelty show at Florida. Of course i wish him the best, but i just didnt see anything more than I wide body to plug up the middlle. If you watch the snap, everyone moves but him.
May 2nd, 2025 at 7:34 am
D.R.
Indeed. And I’ve read as you point out that not only are the “number” of fat cells relatively consistent we gain them all in the first five years.
So children whose parents have stuffed them full of calories in their childhood absolutely have a larger challenge keeping the weight off.
Genetics obviously plays a part but a lot of it could be nipped in the bud if the parents stopped stuffing their kids to shut them up.
I once went to a church where the lady in front of me, a morbidly obese single mom, used to stuff her young daughter with Sugar Pops to keep her quiet during the ceremony.
Think that child had a chance? Genetics added to the huge amount of fat cells that were created.
Think of it this way…I’m just pick random numbers for illustration not meant to be a specific example.
If the young kid ended up with 100,000 fat cells and another child has 50,000 fat cells after growing up it’s twice as hard to lose weight because as you point out you can shrink the cells but they grow right back as soon as you go off the diet.
I NEVER judge obese people. As they say, there but for the grace….
May 2nd, 2025 at 7:41 am
……Fudge…..
May 2nd, 2025 at 7:46 am
He has a long way to go just make the practice squad. Don’t think with that much weight he can last a season let alone a career. Hope I am wrong and he is a successful beast in the middle of the line.
May 2nd, 2025 at 8:03 am
Licht’s record with signing UDFAs is close to elite, and another reason why he should be GMOTY. I’m rooting for young Watson, too. Another fact to consider regarding diet is WHAT you eat. Genetics plays a huge part, but so does a person’s eating habits. It sounds like Desmond is motivated. We could sure use a monster next to VV in that line.
May 2nd, 2025 at 8:04 am
Michelle Obama was ridiculed for trying to improve student nutrition. Studies show you learn better with healthy food. PE classes one hour daily. Studies show you learn better when fit. When my kids were kids and when we were kids we didn’t have to worry about those things. stpetebucs fan it has to start early. But they want PE to only be 2 or 3 days a week and could care less about nutrition in our schools. We’re gonna have even more obese kids and it’s not these kids fault. Be nice if society was smarter.
May 2nd, 2025 at 8:11 am
I can appreciate this kid and what he’s trying to do. And I’m rooting for him to be his best self and become a force on this Buccaneer’s team. Unfortunately, weight will be a struggle with this kid for the remainder of his life. He’s been eating like machine up to this point, and it goes beyond hunger. Right now, money is motivating this kid to slim down some. Once that money comes, we will see how motivated he stays.
May 2nd, 2025 at 8:16 am
A good attitude.
May 2nd, 2025 at 8:29 am
They probably have him on a Glp1 like Zepbound. These drugs work miracles for weight loss. The trick will be balancing his weight loss with muscle mass retention but he is surrounded by a staff that can’t work on that. I could see him down around 375 sometime this season
May 2nd, 2025 at 8:35 am
Watson reminds me of the future Bears William Perry, nicknamed “The Refrigerator,”
May 2nd, 2025 at 8:54 am
but can he drop back in coverage?
May 2nd, 2025 at 9:08 am
For the record, Big Gator is one of the laziness, least creative nicknames I’ve ever heard.
But anyway, this kid is crazy athletic for his size if you research him.
Get him with like others have said and this kid could be a terror inside.
What was that huuuuge old gator’s name from Busch Gardens who sadly isn’t there any more?
That would be a way better nickname for him, but dang I forget his name.
Someone here has to know, it’s on the tip of my tongue
May 2nd, 2025 at 9:09 am
Get him with *Suh I meant to say
May 2nd, 2025 at 9:16 am
Nevermind, Big Joe was the gator from Busch Gardens, so that doesn’t work.
Another famous huge gator from Alligator Alley was named Captain Crunch, so that might be a cool nickname…
Another option would be Blinky, a famous huge gator from Lakeland.
Captain Crunch or Blinky are both way better than Big Gator, in my opinion.
I vote for Blinky.
May 2nd, 2025 at 9:17 am
Watch the tape. The one time Desmond Watson dipped below 400 pounds at Florida, he became a dominant force. When he’s moving well, he’s not just big—he’s terrifying. The Gators even used him at fullback, which tells you just how athletic he can be for his size. When he’s locked in, he clogs lanes, collapses pockets, and delivers serious impact. That’s why I’m calling him Desmond ‘The Wall’ Watson—because once he’s in position, you’re not getting through. If he can stay in shape he will not only make the team he will make an impact this year and years to come.
May 2nd, 2025 at 9:29 am
TraskToTheFuture is wondering if Watson can play QB to replace Baker.