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          NFL Nation

          Deshaun Watson: 'I guess I'm pretty good in the state of Florida'

          Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson was selected to his first Pro Bowl, replacing Tom Brady. Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
          • Michael DiRocco, ESPN Staff WriterJan 26, 2019, 01:00 PM
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              Michael DiRocco is an NFL reporter at ESPN. DiRocco covers the Jacksonville Jaguars. He previously covered the University of Florida for over a decade for ESPN.com and Florida Times-Union. DiRocco graduated from Jacksonville University and is a multiple APSE award winner. You can follow DiRocco on Twitter at @ESPNdirocco.
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          LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- There's something else on the line on Sunday for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson other than a chance to help lead the AFC to a third consecutive victory in the Pro Bowl (3 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Camping World Stadium.

          Watson could complete a personal Sunshine State sweep.

          The Texans' second-year quarterback has already won games in Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville and Tallahassee, and a victory Sunday would allow him to add Orlando to the list. The only other Power Five or professional stadium in the state that he hasn't won a game in would be Florida Field in Gainesville, but his Clemson teams never played the University of Florida.

          "I haven't even thought about it," Watson said after Friday's practice. "Honestly, I just kind of play ball. I guess I'm pretty good in the state of Florida."

          Really good, actually. He's 5-1 in games played in Florida, and that includes two of the biggest victories of his college career. He threw for 187 yards and a touchdown with one interception and ran for 145 yards and a touchdown in Clemson's 37-17 victory over Oklahoma in a playoff semifinal in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Dec. 31, 2015, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens (home to the Miami Dolphins).

          The following season, Watson threw for 420 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 43 yards and another touchdown in the Tigers' 35-31 victory over Alabama in the national title game in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium (home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Watson threw the game-winning TD pass to Hunter Renfrow with one second remaining.

          Watson also won games at Sun Life Stadium against the University of Miami in 2015 and at Florida State's Doak Campbell Stadium in 2016. He beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in October after traveling to the game from Houston via bus because the team was concerned about the impact that air pressure could have on his bruised lung and injured ribs if he flew with the team.

          As for never having won in Gainesville, Watson kind of has that covered anyway -- he grew up in Gainesville, Georgia, and set numerous state records at Gainesville High School.

          Making the Pro Bowl in his second season doesn't take the sting away from the home playoff loss to Indianapolis, but it is a nice cap for Watson after a record-setting season. He threw for 4,165 yards and 26 touchdowns with nine interceptions and also ran for 551 yards and five TDs -- which make him the first player in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards and at least 25 TDs and rush for more than 500 yards and five TDs.

          Watson's 45 touchdown passes in 22 starts (he missed nine games with a torn ACL in 2017) is more than Ben Roethlisberger, Russell Wilson, Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco and Cam Newton (as well as other QBs) had through their first 22 starts.

          Watson is more proud of the Texans' rally from an 0-3 start to go 11-5 and win the AFC South than anything else.