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5/4/06-Football
Watson, Davis selected in NFL college draft
BY MIKE ROSENBAUM OF THE OBSERVER AND ECCENTRIC
Gabe Watson and Charles Davis are now professional football players.
Both were selected Sunday afternoon during the NFL college draft's second day. Watson, a Southfield High graduate, was the Arizona Cardinals' fourth-round pick, and the draft's 107th overall choice. Davis, from Orchard Lake St. Mary's, was selected by the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round, 167th overall.
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Non-drafted college players began signing with NFL teams shortly after the draft concluded. Local signees included another St. Mary's grad, Grant Mason, who agreed to a contract with New Orleans, plus West Bloomfield alumnus Kyle Brown, who inked a pact with Kansas City.
Watson was once considered a likely first-round pick, due to his combination of size (6-foot-4, 331 pounds) and quickness. Despite impressive post-season workouts for pro scouts, his stock dropped due to questions regarding inconsistent play at the University of Michigan.
In a conference call with reporters following his selection on Sunday, Watson said he'd hoped to be picked during the draft's first three rounds, which were held Saturday.
"It's a little frustrating it didn't happen yesterday," Watson said. "Coming into this I knew anything could happen. Everybody wants to go early, but there's only so many picks. I got up (today) and went to the store and on the way back, I had a call."
Watson became a starting defensive tackle at U-M as a junior, then lost his spot early in his senior season. Watson soon regained the starting role and played well enough to earn his second straight first team All-Big 10 selection. But doubts about his work ethic remained. He addressed those doubts after Sunday's draft.
"My response to that is that I'll show them," Watson said. "People are going to say what they're going to say. Some of those people, it's their jobs to say things like that. I've always been motivated, playing as hard as I can, especially when I'm in there. Being a big guy, in any sport, they have to work a lot harder. You get tired fast."
Cardinals head coach Dennis Green said he was pleased to add Watson to his squad. Green also put a different spin on Watson's college career, pointing out that difficulties from Watson's past could become motivating factors for the future.
"Gabe is a very big, powerful guy who most people had going late first or second round," Green said. "He reminds me a little bit of when we got Darnell Dockett a few years ago. The bottom line is that all these guys have to learn to be pro players. I think that Gabe, with his power and strength at the nose tackle, will be very hard to block. He was a solid player at Michigan but did not play as well as he wanted to play. In other words he did not reach his individual goals and now he has the National Football League to reach those goals."
The Cardinals boast a solid defense, but their significant need is improved interior defense against the run, leaving an opening that Watson hopes to fill.
"I know I'm a run-stopper," Watson said. "I can collapse the pocket and that's the job for a nose guard."
In four years at U-M, Watson recorded 92 tackles, including 14.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. As with any high-quality nose tackle, however, his statistics only tell part of his story. Watson almost always faced a double-team yet, at his best, he frequently penetrated the line and disrupted offensive plays, even when he didn't have a hand in the tackle.
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Unlike Watson, Davis was expected to be a second-day draft pick. He'll enter the Steelers' tight end depth chart somewhere below starter Heath Miller, who had a strong rookie campaign last season.
Steelers tight ends coach James Daniels told a press conference Sunday that Davis is a versatile talent.
"He has really made some big plays as a receiver, but he has had some blocking experience, too," Daniels said, "and we think he has some potential as a blocker...He is a talent. He is something that you can work with and hopefully he'll be a good player."
The 6-6, 260-pound Davis said he was pleased to join the Super Bowl champs.
"I am excited for a new situation," he said."Just to be able to move on to the next level is a great accomplishment in itself and to be part of a winning program, I am really excited."
After graduating from St. Mary's, Davis red-shirted his freshman year at Purdue, then went on to catch 78 passes for 865 yards and four touchdowns in 49 career games, including 33 starts, over the past four seasons. He was a second team All-Big 10 choice as a junior and also played part of one season on the Boilermakers' basketball team.
Asked about his role on the Steelers, Davis said he "will do whatever they need, I guess that is the only way I can describe it. I am humble, I am hungry and I am ready to go.I will play special teams if they need it.I will block, I will catch, I will run, I will wash dishes, it doesn't matter."
Mason played one year at wide receiver Stanford before transferring to U-M and switching positions. He earned a starting cornerback spot last season and led the Wolverines with 61 solo tackles among his 85 total stops. He picked off three passes in two seasons, returning one for a touchdown, and returned 12 kickoffs for 300 yards.
Brown battled injuries through four years at Michigan State. The wide receiver caught 88 passes for 1,329 yards and six touchdowns, and also did some kick returning. As a senior, he grabbed 36 passes for 546 yards and two touchdowns in nine games. He returned eight punts for 88 yards and five kickoffs for 107 yards last season.
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