| Dekoda Watson |
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2008: One of Florida State's top defenders who ranked fourth on the team with 46 tackles...second consecutive season he has ranked among Florida State's top five tacklers after finishing fifth on the team with 50 stops as a sophomore...played in 10 of the Seminoles' 13 games and averaged a single-season career-high 4.6 tackles per game...seminoles' starter at the strongside linebacker in seven games including the Champs Sports Bowl...28 tackles in the final four regular season games for a 7.0 tackles per game average...totaled nine tackles against Clemson, eight against Boston College, seven against Florida and four against Maryland...ranked fourth on the team with a career-high tying 8.0 tackles for loss...16.0 tackles for loss in the last two seasons...tackles for minus yards came in six different games with a career-high 3.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage against Boston College...best game of the season came in the Seminoles' victory over Colorado with a career-high 10 tackles, a blocked punt that was scored as a safety and a tackle for loss...second interception of his career came in the Seminoles' victory over Miami...scored his second career TD on a 51-yard fumble return versus Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl.
2007: Started all 12 games during the regular season at the strong side linebacker position and ranked fifth on the team with a single-season career-high 50 tackles...fourth on the team with a single-season career-high eight tackles for minus yardage and fourth on the team with a single-season career-high three quarterback sacks...career-high nine tackles against Florida and eight against Wake Forest...maybe the best game of his career against Virginia Tech with six total tackles, a single-game career-high 3.5 tackles for minus yardage, one quarterback sack and his first career interception...earned 1.5 tackles for minus yardage in Seminole victories over NC State and Duke...totaled five tackles and one pass break-up in the Seminoles' victory at Colorado...named the most dependable linebacker, top newcomer and the biggest hitter on defense following spring practice in 2007...won the "Most Improved Player" award for the defense following the 2007 season.
2006: Named to the All-ACC Freshman Team by the Sporting News...played in 12 games...earned one starting assignment at the weakside linebacker position against Boston College...started against the Eagles in place of the injured Geno Hayes and spent the season learning the position as Hayes' backup... totaled 23 tackles to finish second on the team among first year players (second to Myron Rolle) in total tackles...his career high of eight tackles came against Boston College...four tackles and the first sack of his career in the Seminoles' victory over Rice...three tackles against Duke and Virginia...quarterback sacks came against Rice, Duke and Virginia...his play was important in the Seminoles' victory over UCLA in the Emerald Bowl...blocked a third quarter punt with Florida State trailing 20-16...Florida State's Lawrence Timmons picked up the loose ball and carried it 25 yards for a touchdown to put Florida State ahead 23-20 with 8:58 left in the third period...UCLA regained the lead but Florida State won the game 44-27...returned one punt for 16 yards in the Seminoles' victory over UCLA.
High School: Graduated from South Aiken in 2006...a three star player and No. 25 outside linebacker in the nation according to Rivals.com...named the No. 1 linebacker and No. 10 overall prospect on the Rivals.com postseason South Carolina Top 25 for 2006...a preseason all-region selection by PrepStar magazine after a junior season that saw him rack up 102 tackles, 29 tackles for loss and 18 sacks from the defensive end position...named all-state first team by SCVarsity.com as a senior after recording 123 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and 11 sacks...named Defensive MVP after recording nine tackles and a sack for the South Carolina team in the annual North Carolina-South Carolina Shrine Bowl...named to the all-southern team by the Orlando Sentinel in 2005...chose Florida State over South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.
Personal: Born Mar. 3, 1988...major is family and child sciences.
Career-Highs:
Tackles 10, vs. Colorado, 2008
TFL 3.5, Boston College, 2008
QB Sacks 1, five times last vs. Virginia Tech, 2007
INT 1, two times, last at Miami, 2008
Blocked Kick 1, vs. Colorado, 2008
