Texans' Tom Savage remains hungry to become starting QB
By Aaron Wilson, Houston ChronicleUpdated
During limited game experience, quarterback Tom Savage has displayed enough promise to keep the Texans' coaches hopeful. But what about Deshaun Watson? Keep clicking to see some quick facts to know about the Texans' newest QB.Brett Coomer/Staff
Feels like he was the best QB in the draft
“It’s like a slap in the face, to be honest,” Watson told Josina Anderson of ESPN about possibly not being the first quarterback taken. “You see all the things I’ve accomplished, it’s a long list, and they want to talk about the little negatives I have and bring somebody else up? It’s a little disrespectful.”
Matt Rourke/Associated Press
Wears No. 4
Watson was No. 4 throughout high school. At Clemson, that number was retired in honor of quarterback Steve Fuller, who allowed Clemson to take it out of retirement so Watson could wear it. The last Texans player to wear No. 4 is kicker Randy Bullock. Quarterback flop Dave Ragone also wore No. 4 for the Texans, so it hasn’t been a particularly lucky number for the franchise.
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Intelligent quarterback
Watson graduated from Clemson in three years and his college coaches rave about his note-taking ability in meetings. His college coaches say he’s a student of the game, who is always studying game film.
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Comparison
The quarterbacks Watson compares most favorably to are Tennessee’s Marcus Mariota and Dak Prescott based off his accuracy and his mobility.
Joel Auerbach/Contributor
Remembers where he came from
On the lining of his jacket at the NFL Draft, Watson had a reference to his hometown. The 815 on the lining is a nod to 815 Harrison Square in Gainesville, Ga., his address when he and his family lived in the projects. Memo is a hashtag he's used frequently on Twitter and Instagram, and it is a bit of a motto of his - as in, he hopes people get the memo about his talent. Or as Drake said in Trophies ... "Did y'all boys not get the memo?"
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Most NFL-ready QB
There’s no doubt the three best quarterbacks in the draft were Deshaun Watson, North Carolina’s Mitchell Trubisky and Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes. Watson went third, but he’s the most polished of the three and the most ready to start Week 1.
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Winner
Watson went 32-3 as a starter in three years at Clemson. His only losses were a 43-42 loss to Pittsburgh last season, a 45-40 loss to Alabama in the 2016 national championship game and a lost to Georgia Tech as a true freshman. Oh yeah, he also won a national championship.
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Need to adjust to playing under center
Watson played in the spread and out of the shotgun at Clemson, so he’ll need to adjust to the Texans’ offense.
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Tough guy
As a freshman, he tweaked his knee against Georgia Tech and missed the rest of the game. Watson came back and played the next two games against Georgia State and rival South Carolina. After the South Carolina game, it was revealed that Watson actually had a torn ACL and played through it. He underwent ACL surgery before Clemson’s bowl game against Oklahoma and was ready to play by the start of his sophomore season.
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Still young
Watson is only 21 years old and won’t turn 22 until Week 2 of the season (on the same day the Texans play at Cincinnat on Thursday Night Football). Last year, no quarterback younger than 22 started a game in the NFL.
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Plays with poise
He has good presence in the pocket and doesn’t panic when it starts to collapse. He uses his mobility when he needs to, but he’s shown a willingness to hang in and deliver the pass knowing he will get hit.
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What the Texans gave up
To move up to No. 12, the Texans gave the Browns the 25th pick this year and next year’s first-round pick.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Clutch gene
Watson was at his best in big games. Everyone remembers his 420-yard, three-touchdown performance in the national title win over Alabama, but he had several other big games. In last year’s ACC championship game, he passed for 288 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 85 yards and two scores in a win over Virginia Tech. In the loss to Alabama in the 2016 title game, he threw for 405 yards and four touchdowns.
Streeter Lecka/Staff
Ready for this
Watson has been in the spotlight ever since he got to Clemson as a five-star recruit. He’s been plotting his NFL move, even graduating early knowing that he’d leave Clemson after three years.
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Worked under center to prepare for the NFL
Even though Clemson ran about 95 percent of their plays out of the shotgun, Clemson quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter said Deshaun Watson practiced playing under center every day after practice, “just to develop those habits and basic footwork working from center. He tells me all the time he loves getting under center.”
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Getting paid
As the No. 12 pick, Watson will sign a fully guaranteed four-year $13.9 million rookie contract that will include an $8.26 million signing bonus and a standard fifth-year team option.
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Record-setting recruit in high school
Watson started all four years in high school in Gainesville, Ga. He set Georgia state records with 17,134 career total yards, 13,077 career passing yards and 218 career touchdowns. Watson was ranked the No. 1 QB recruit in the Class of 2014 by ESPN, and was recruited by the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State and USC before he decided on Clemson.
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DeAndre Hopkins has to be happy
As a former Clemson player, Hopkins is a big fan of Deshaun Watson. Although he's said nothing but good things about Texans' quarterback Tom Savage, Hopkins said nice things about Watson just last week. "I'm a Clemson guy, so I'm a little biased," he said. "Wherever he goes, he'll do fine. I haven't talked to him, but I'm pretty sure he'd like to throw me the ball."
Elizabeth Conley/Staff
Endorsement of a Hall of Famer
Warren Moon - the greatest quarterback in the history of Houston professional football - wholeheartedly supports Deshaun Watson.
Twitter
Tom Savage has waited a long time for this moment, far too long to become complacent now that the Texans’ starting quarterback job is within his grip.
After dealing with a myriad of injuries, plenty of time watching from the bench and absorbing coach Bill O’Brien’s complex playbook, Savage is determined to maintain his new status as the Texans’ latest QB1.
Even though the organization reaffirmed that he remains atop the depth chart after trading a pair of first-round draft picks to land multidimensional Clemson All-American quarterback Deshaun Watson, Savage has no plans to relax.
“Listen, I’m going to go out there and I’m going to play like I have to play to keep this job,” Savage said. “I mean, you got to earn it every day to be the starter. It doesn’t matter if a coach says you’re the starter. You have to perform. I know that, and that’s the attitude I have.”
Savage has displayed flashes of being a viable NFL quarterback. Big at 6-4, 228 pounds, the strong-armed Philadelphia native and former fourth-round draft pick from Pitt has a deep knowledge of the system. It’s durability and a lack of ideal mobility that have held him back.
Savage replaced $72 million quarterback failure Brock Osweiler late last season. He completed 63 percent of his throws for 461 yards and no interceptions in three games and two starts for an 80.9 passer rating.
That was before suffering a concussion during a meaningless regular-season finale loss to the Tennessee Titans, ending his season. Savage had previous knee and shoulder injuries, spending the entire 2015 season on injured reserve.
“I don’t play this game thinking about injuries,” Savage said. “I’m going to go out there and play like I always do and play hard.”
Savage has yet to throw a touchdown pass in an NFL regular-season game. In 92 career passes, he has 588 yards and one interception for a 74.9 career passer rating. Beyond statistics, though, Savage has earned respect from his teammates.
“He's had time to learn and grow,” Texans defensive end J.J. Watt said. “He's got a chance to prove what he's got. That's all you can ask for in this league - an opportunity. I think he's embracing that chance this offseason."
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The fan base is excited about Watson’s arrival and some publications have already anointed him as an NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate.
Savage has vowed to be up to the task, and he anticipates a competitive situation.
“I’m super ready,” Savage said. “There’s no doubt it’s going to be a battle, but it’s a tough league. I can’t tell you how excited I am.”
The Texans like Savage’s poise as a pocket passer, his toughness and leadership qualities as a popular, respected personality in the locker room. Savage acknowledged he needs to play more consistently and get the football out of his hands quicker. Analysts have knocked Savage for his approach and mechanics being too deliberate.
“Well, Tommy’s smart,” Texans general manager Rick Smith said. “He’s got all the ingredients that are necessary to play quarterback at our level. He’s intelligent. He works hard. He’s got the athletic ability. The opportunitiest he’s had, he’s done well with them.
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“It’s just a function of having the opportunity to be there consistently. I think he will continue to get better. I think he’s got all of those traits and I think the more he plays and the more experience that he gains, the better he’ll be.”
Savage is a gracious competitor and was the first player to reach out to Watson via a text message welcoming him to town during the draft after the Texans selected the Heisman Trophy finalist and national championship winner 12th overall.
“I congratulated him and his family,” Savage said. “It’s an incredible honor to get drafted in the first round. I told him that the only thing that matters to me ultimately is that we win. So, let’s just go to work.”
Savage has remained hungry since a well-traveled college career during which he transferred from Rutgers to Arizona and Pitt before showing enough potential at Pitt, passing for 2,958 yards and 21 touchdowns, to catch NFL scouts' attention. Savage used to work construction with his father, putting up dry wall.
“That was an interesting time in my life,” Savage said. “I think it kind of instilled some really good traits in me. I think I learned a lot from that whole deal.
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“Nothing better than going up 10 flights of stairs to go get tools for your dad that he doesn’t feel like going down and getting. This is a dream come true to go out here and play in the NFL and get an opportunity to start.”
