At 464 pounds, Florida DT Desmond Watson sees weight loss as path to NFL

TAMPA, Fla. — Desmond Watson knows where he wants to go, and one of the keys to getting there is not stopping along the way.

Watson, a defensive lineman from Florida, is unique among NFL Draft prospects if not people in general, checking in at a massive 6-foot-6 and 464 pounds at his pro day in Gainesville last week. That is not a typo, and though he has shown remarkable athleticism for a player his size, he understands that to have a viable future in the NFL, he must lose weight.

And among other things, that means staying in his car, wherever he's going.

"Stopping while driving," Watson said when asked about bad habits he's tried to shed. "My biggest thing is keep going, get to where I need to get. There are stores and a lot of temptations. That's helped me immensely: Don't go inside the gas station. Pay at the pump. Because inside, it's snacks and all types of things like that. Don't pull over. If you're on the highway, stay on the highway until you get where you've got to go."

Watson's pro day weigh-in made him a viral sensation for the wrong reasons — 464 pounds is 20 percent heavier than the listed weight for the biggest player in the NFL last year, Ravens tackle Daniel Faalele, at 6-foot-8 and 380 pounds. There are no official records, but the heaviest player in league history is often said to be former Bears tackle Aaron Gibson, who was listed at 410 pounds at the peak of a playing career that went from 1999-2004.

So Watson's focus, even more so than it's been in four years of college football, is to change his diet and training habits to get in better shape, knowing that's a path to not only his best chance at the NFL, but for a healthy life overall.

"It's been like my same problem — not problem, but my same