🏈 Dual Threat QB is a Stereotype? Geez...

[bama alum]

I always thought that was a really good compliment. And while I have NO intentions of trying come off anywhere like the nutjob who posts in the political forum...Well, then what does that make Manziel? Mariotta? People are just too damn sensitive about (stuff) these days.


(video clip in the link)

QB Watson says dual-threat label 'a stereotype'

Clemson QB Deshaun Watson says dual-threat label stems from race
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12:19 AM CT

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  Jared ShankerESPN Staff Writer

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Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson said he has long been stereotyped as a run-first quarterback because he's black and is an effective runner.

In an interview posted on Bleacher Report, Watson said the label dual-threat quarterback is a "code word."

"People think, 'Oh, he's a black quarterback, he must be dual-threat.' People throw around that word all the time. It's lazy," Watson told Bleacher Report. "The one thing I learned early on as a football player is people have their opinions, and I can't change them. But I can show them what they're missing.

"People have assumed that I have to run the ball before I can throw it most all of my career, all the way back before high school. It's a stereotype put on me for a long time because I'm African-American and I'm a dual-threat quarterback. I don't know why that stereotype is still around. It's about talent and the ability to throw the ball, not the color of your skin or your ability to also be a dangerous runner."

"People think, 'Oh, he's a black quarterback, he must be dual-threat.' People throw around that word all the time. It's lazy," Clemson's Deshaun Watson told Bleacher Report. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Watson told Bleacher Report it annoyed him when he was younger.

In his two seasons at Clemson, Watson has emerged as one of the best quarterbacks nationally as both a passer and runner. He's 18-2 as the Tigers' starter, and in 2015, his first full season, he became the first FBS quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for 1,000. He was the Tigers' first Heisman Trophy finalist, finishing third, and led Clemson to an ACC title and appearance in the national championship game.

Against Alabama, Watson completed 30 of 47 passes for 405 yards and four touchdowns. He added 73 yards rushing. Clemson's 550 total yards were the most Alabama allowed all season in a single game. The Crimson Tide finished 2015 ranked No. 1 in adjusted defensive QBR.

"Then everyone said, 'Well, let's see how he does against the Alabama defense' -- the defense everyone thought was the best," Watson told Bleacher Report. "I think my teammates and I proved we can throw the ball."

Watson was the No. 1 quarterback in the 2014 recruiting class after breaking several state high school records in Georgia and leading Gainesville to a state championship. He held offers from Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, Ohio State and USC, among many others.

Early projections have Watson as the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NFL draft, if he elects to forgo his senior season. As a sophomore, he threw for 4,104 yards and 35 touchdowns and rushed for 1,105 yards and 12 scores.

Injury concerns followed Watson into the 2015 season after he suffered a torn ACL late in 2014 -- his third significant injury that year -- but he remained healthy throughout all of last season. He told Bleacher Report he doesn't think his injury history will scare teams.

"Not at all," he told Bleacher Report. "I think I proved last year that I am durable and can take the punishment. I've put on about 16 pounds of muscle this offseason, and I'm more prepared than I have ever been to handle the hits."

He told Bleacher Report a national championship is his main priority after losing 45-40 to Alabama in January. It was the SEC's eight national title in the past 10 seasons.

Watson said he does not see a disparity in talent between the SEC and ACC. Florida State won the 2013 national championship and made the playoffs in 2014, and Clemson nearly went undefeated a season ago.

"We had the No. 1 defense in the nation last year. I practiced against the No. 1 defense every week. When we played Alabama, there was no difference to me," Watson told Bleacher Report. "I'm not saying that Alabama doesn't have talent -- they do. They've got some studs over there. But I truly believe there's no difference between the two leagues. It's not overwhelming or shocking to play against the SEC, like most fans think."

 

[94 Grad]

I would agree with what he says... there is a stigma that if you see a black QB he must be a dual threat or run first type QB. I don't see anything wrong with what he was saying.

Where I don't agree is that the SEC and ACC are equal. I hear this all the time from my FSU friends (wife is a FSU grad). The thing is, FSU and Clemson may be as good as Alabama and/or LSU; however, it's after those two that the conference isn't equal. The SEC every year has 2 or 3 teams that are in the hunt for a playoff birth... and on top of that, they are not the same teams each year. LSU, UF, Alabama, auburn (eww), The Mississippis, UGA and Even Missouri have been in the National Championship hunt in recent years. That's over half the conference. The ACC.... FSU/Clemson. That's it... that's all they got.

I think a lot of people get upset when people say the SEC is the best conference. They say, hey Ohio State is as good as Bama... or FSU is. However, when people talk about why the SEC is the best... it's because of the depth of the teams in the SEC. That doesn't mean we have 6 teams every year that are battling it out for a NC... it more that we have 3 to 4 DIFFERNT teams every year that are in the hunt. It's not the same two teams each year. That is what makes the SEC special...

 

[bamachine]

I know maths is hard, so let me explain it for him, dual means more than one, less than 3, exactly 2. Now for the second word, threat means a person likely to cause damage. If people only thought he was good at one thing, that would be single threat. Glad that I could clear that up for you, I know they do not give you a good education up there in SC.

 

[jdpas29]

well i guess if you calculated each QB's attributes by race, you probably would see a trend that non-caucasian QBs have more of a tendency to be athletic and elusive. I haven't ran the numbers but I would say that is likely true.

Then again you have Johnny "pour me another one" Manziel and Byron Leftwich that really jack up your stats.

Watson is a great QB. No doubt. I understand what he is saying. I also think, however, there is a trend for more caucasian QBs to be athletic and vice versa where more black QBs are focusing on pocket passing as primary. I'm assume the NFL scouts get a bit more excited when they know their recruit is comfortable staying in the pocket.

Maybe in 20 years, these trends will converge on the chart and no one will have a perceived predisposition one way or the other based on race?

 

[TUSKtimes]

That's kinda insulting to everyone who watches Clemson play. Frankly, they use Watson a lot like they used Mariota at Oregon in their spread. Wasn't that QB taken number 2 in the draft? I think Georgia Tech's veer is a run-first approach and that's what they ask of their QB. Clemson will wear you out through the air and it's hard to understand how that would be a mystery to anyone who watches college football. Watson, just play football, the NFL see's you and they make the call.

 

[UAgrad93]

4,000 through the air and another 1,000+ means DUAL THREAT!! I don't look at color when looking at a QB. I look at what he brings to the table as far as skills. Being labeled pro-style or dual threat isn't a shot at your skin color, it is looking at what you bring to the table and how you are used in your system. If his HS in Gainsville ran the spread option and he was used as an additional runner, then yep! You are a dual threat!! Tim Tebow coming out of HS was rated as the #1 dual threat QB in the nation and not a pro style guy. Why? He was used in a spread offense as an additional runner as well as a QB. Bateman and Barnett were rated as pro-style even though they ran spread. It was how they were used in their offense. Both of those guys have some pretty decent wheels.

 

[rammerjammer]

People are just too damn sensitive about (stuff) these days.

You said a mouthful and I could not agree more.

Everyone goes out of their way to wear their freakin' feelings on their sleeve. Take your stinking compliment and move along. Otherwise shut up. I'm so sick of this political BS.

 

[JoshB]

He's right and he's wrong. I dont think "dual threat" is a code word but yes there are a lot of people that think black QBs automatically are run first QBs. Hes not lying there. My uncle automatically thinks "he cant throw for **** but I bet he can run like a mule" when he sees a black QB. Legit. Its embarrassing and there are coaches with this mindset, I've heard it myself.

 

[Crimson&WhiteGecko]

You could call me whatever you want if I had his skills... and I wouldn't give to sh!t$ about what you thought either.

 

[BamaFan334]

From the other side of the argument, can he name a black pocket passing quarterback, currently? Obviously not saying their aren't, but none really jump off the page to me. So essentially, it's a compliment saying they have multiple skill sets that can be used to throw a defense off. Exactly what was said earlier, just too dang sensitive. Sounds like another Cain Colter, someone attempting to be a trailblazer of sorts.

 

[JoshB]

From the other side of the argument, can he name a black pocket passing quarterback, currently? Obviously not saying their aren't, but none really jump off the page to me. So essentially, it's a compliment saying they have multiple skill sets that can be used to throw a defense off. Exactly what was said earlier, just too dang sensitive. Sounds like another Cain Colter, someone attempting to be a trailblazer of sorts.

First off, being a dual threat doesn't mean you aren't a pocket passer... Winston could scramble when he needs to but he is much, much more a pocket passer. No one would argue that Aaron Rodgers isnt a pocket passer but he had more rushing yards than Winston last year.

If you are asking when the last time there was an immobile black QB starting somewhere? Teddy Bridgewater or Geno Smith would be my arguments, but even they can outrun most defensive linemen. Bridgewater was certainly more of a pocket passer in college than anything else but, like Rodgers, he could scramble if he had to. Josh Freeman is/was slow as dirt and was a pocket passer, a terrible one though, too.

 

[UAgrad93]

From the other side of the argument, can he name a black pocket passing quarterback, currently? Obviously not saying their aren't, but none really jump off the page to me. So essentially, it's a compliment saying they have multiple skill sets that can be used to throw a defense off. Exactly what was said earlier, just too dang sensitive. Sounds like another Cain Colter, someone attempting to be a trailblazer of sorts.

This can be attributed to the style of offenses that you see in the HS today. Take a look around the local HS today and you will see that a overwhelming majority are of the spread option type, not the 4-5 wide and throw it 40-50 times a game. These offenses often take their best "athlete" and stick him at the QB position. When I came along, offenses were more traditional pro-style I offenses. The monkey in the wrench, was the Wing T offense.

@Birdman37, I have a cousin that is the exact same way as your uncle!! He bitched about Blake Sims all the way though a 12-2 season and single season passing records. I pointed out to him that Andrew Zow was a pretty good QB during his time at BAMA as well. Still heard some of the bullshit comments. Now, he is in the Jalen Hurts corner singing his praises!!

 

[The Corinthian]

"We had the No. 1 defense in the nation last year. I practiced against the No. 1 defense every week. When we played Alabama, there was no difference to me,"

Except that you lost, bitch.

 

[JoshB]

This can be attributed to the style of offenses that you see in the HS today. Take a look around the local HS today and you will see that a overwhelming majority are of the spread option type, not the 4-5 wide and throw it 40-50 times a game. These offenses often take their best "athlete" and stick him at the QB position. When I came along, offenses were more traditional pro-style I offenses. The monkey in the wrench, was the Wing T offense.

@Birdman37, I have a cousin that is the exact same way as your uncle!! He bitched about Blake Sims all the way though a 12-2 season and single season passing records. I pointed out to him that Andrew Zow was a pretty good QB during his time at BAMA as well. Still heard some of the bullshit comments. Now, he is in the Jalen Hurts corner singing his praises!!

The spread got so widespread because of small schools being able to throw a ton of points on the board with smaller/less players. A lot of times you just need that one really fast/great athlete and most schools around cant catch him. I cover five high schools right now. One is a massive 7A school, they run a hybrid offense kind of like Auburn. Another is a pure spread, chuck it all over the field. Another is a traditional pound it out I-formation team. Another is a hybrid offense that uses the traditional spread, spread option, triple option, and I-form. And yet another that runs primarily read option where the only two players that touch the ball are the quarterback and running back. The QB couldn't complete a pass 15 yards down the field to save his life but hes extremely athletic and fast so they still manage to put up 40-50 points per game (plus the running back is very good). Then, they meet that one or two defenses in the region that have a good, physical defense and they get destroyed.

 

[UAgrad93]

The spread got so widespread because of small schools being able to throw a ton of points on the board with smaller/less players. A lot of times you just need that one really fast/great athlete and most schools around cant catch him. I cover five high schools right now. One is a massive 7A school, they run a hybrid offense kind of like Auburn. Another is a pure spread, chuck it all over the field. Another is a traditional pound it out I-formation team. Another is a hybrid offense that uses the traditional spread, spread option, triple option, and I-form. And yet another that runs primarily read option where the only two players that touch the ball are the quarterback and running back. The QB couldn't complete a pass 15 yards down the field to save his life but hes extremely athletic and fast so they still manage to put up 40-50 points per game (plus the running back is very good). Then, they meet that one or two defenses in the region that have a good, physical defense and they get destroyed.

When I first got into coaching, I was at Fultondale HS, Ardarrius Stewarts' alma mater. We were a 2A or 3A I believe and we were quite small. We ran the Wing T with guards that were almost as fast as our backfield. We didn't have a big line so we relied on the angles that the Wing T provided in blocking assignments. We would always have a couple of horses that could get us to the playoffs but like you said, we would come up to face a bigger school or playoff opponent with a defense, we were FUBARed!! Stuff our run game and then make us drop back to throw was our Achilles. When I moved to Sylacauga, we were 5A and running the Wing T. Again, we could motor against our size or inferior, but go 6A or face a defense, we couldn't throw to save ourselves. That coach left and a guy came in for 1 year and crippled the program. He ran I formation power run and we didn't have the Oline or the skill to run. He left and a guy came in with his "spread option/veer" offense and have averaged roughly 8 wins a season. Then playoff time comes and they struggle against a team that can defend the run. Again, the passing game is inferior. Since I am out of coaching, I have offered my services to help him run a QB camp for 4th grade up through his varsity QBs. Footwork and mechanics tuned up and Sylacauga could make some noise in 5A.

 

[JoshB]

When I first got into coaching, I was at Fultondale HS, Ardarrius Stewarts' alma mater. We were a 2A or 3A I believe and we were quite small. We ran the Wing T with guards that were almost as fast as our backfield. We didn't have a big line so we relied on the angles that the Wing T provided in blocking assignments. We would always have a couple of horses that could get us to the playoffs but like you said, we would come up to face a bigger school or playoff opponent with a defense, we were FUBARed!! Stuff our run game and then make us drop back to throw was our Achilles. When I moved to Sylacauga, we were 5A and running the Wing T. Again, we could motor against our size or inferior, but go 6A or face a defense, we couldn't throw to save ourselves. That coach left and a guy came in for 1 year and crippled the program. He ran I formation power run and we didn't have the Oline or the skill to run. He left and a guy came in with his "spread option/veer" offense and have averaged roughly 8 wins a season. Then playoff time comes and they struggle against a team that can defend the run. Again, the passing game is inferior. Since I am out of coaching, I have offered my services to help him run a QB camp for 4th grade up through his varsity QBs. Footwork and mechanics tuned up and Sylacauga could make some noise in 5A.

Its crazy when I was in high school our offense, at Elba, was always I-formation run it right up the gut. My senior year a new coach came in, Scott Rials, the third coach we'd had in the previous four years. He completely changed the way we played. We had always gone both ways on the lines. If you were the starting OT you likely were a starting DT or DE too. He changed that, all of us 250+ pound O-Linemen were suddenly not on offense at all and just D-Linemen. Then he moved over all the younger and smaller O-Linemen to the 1s. Took our 5'8" backup running back, who was the fastest player on the team, and stuck him at quarterback to compliment our big ass 6'2", 230 lb. 3-star tailback (who eventually signed with Vandy). There wasn't a single school in the region that could stop those two, it didnt make a damn. But like you said, meet a D-Line that wasn't just big but fast too and suddenly that QB that had never been a QB before had to fling it and it was bad news.

I thought Rials was going to cripple the team with that spread option, I really did. A few years later Elba is back to be a powerhouse and not just in the region, the state (in 2A of course) that was beating some 3A, 4A, and up teams (they obliterated a 6A team last year). He left for greener pastures (Luverne where Elba now beats the piss out of him every year) and Ed Rigby was brought in. He took those things that Rials has built and just turned up a couple dozen notches. Sitting down and talking with him over the last several months has been really awesome. His philosophy on how to practice and everything just blew my mind and it's no wonder Elba is the powerhouse it is now.