Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers

Back inside Radio Row Phoenix Convention Center and now joining us from the Green Bay Packers. Go Pack Go!

Is Christian Watson who had a tremendous rookie season. Christian how are you? I'm doing well, I'm doing well. How you doing?

I'm doing fantastic. So I go back because I love stories when people persevere and they overcome some adversity early on because you being the draft pick that you were, the importance of the receiver position, Devontae Adams not being there, we all know what happened week one. up against the Vikings. After that game there was a lot of pressure on you and there was a lot of conversation.

Is Rogers not happy with the young wide receivers? How'd you fight through that because down the stretch you went to a place where we all thought you could get to. Yeah I mean I think for me it was mainly just you know focusing on myself, focusing on you know building up the confidence in myself so that obviously you know I can spread that to my teammates, spread that to 12 and the coaches. So I mean I really had to work on myself at that point obviously you know not having participated in training camp with you know having had surgery on my knee before the season you know obviously I missed out on a lot of you know opportunities to build that trust and build that confidence. So I mean for me it was just kind of trying to find the consistency of you know of being healthy of you know being out there playing and you know getting those reps with 12 because I mean obviously you know there's that you know you know bit of you know starstruckness when you're playing you know with a player of 12's caliber and obviously you know not having got those reps initially you know outside of you know the regular season is tough. So obviously I think the more that I got to you know go out there and just you know practice with him and you know get more reps with him the bigger it was for me.

Let's say we're talking five years from now. Christian Watson will be what as an NFL wide receiver? I mean I think Christian Watson will be a household name you know regarding the NFL. You know I think that you know I have an understanding of you know the caliber of player that I'm able to be.

You know I think the you know the growth will continue to be seen you know as I continue to play and you know I'm trying to be a top wide receiver in this league right now. Who do you think the best five wide receivers are in football. I'm going to go with that's a tough one. Jay Jettis, Jamar Chase. This is a tough one.

I got two more. Devante? I got to go with Devante.

And then probably Cooper Cup. No Tyree Kill. Tyree Kill is he is a top five receiver. I'll say he's a top five receiver for sure. Just for the sake of me being on this interview and me wanting to put myself in there.

Obviously there's going to be a few that's left out. But I like that confidence because like if we did a question right out of the top five wide receivers in the league only be in the league for a year so far people wouldn't say you. But I think really to be great you got to have a certain mentality where when when Hendon Hooker joins us yesterday who's the best quarterback in the draft. Most people would say C.J. Stroud.

Most people say Bryce Young. I like that he said himself because if you feel like you could be in that conversation it shows that you have that belief to eventually get there one day. If you know everybody knows you know what their personal limits are and you know what they're truly able to do. And you know I think I obviously you know see that in myself. And obviously you know it'll you know take time to kind of cultivate and come together. You know I think in due time the world will know as well. How do you react to all this Roger stuff because this has been now sees has even officially started yet and there's rumors flying around everywhere. You know I mean I just kind of put that in the back burner of my mind. You know obviously it's not something I can control it's not something that I have a say in.

So it's focus on myself focus on you know you know obviously you know improving myself and you know working on my craft and obviously you know when when that time comes and you know we're in the OTAs and minicam and training camp obviously you know whoever's throwing the rock to me it's you know it's out of my control. So we'll see. Would it surprise you though if he got dealt this offseason. If you what if Rogers got traded this offseason would it surprise you. I mean it would honestly just because obviously you know having known that you know the legacy that he's had with Green Bay and you know kind of seeing his love and his passion for for being in Green Bay over the years. I mean I mean it would surprise me just because you know obviously it's where he started it's where he's been.

We'll see Jordan love. What can he bring to the football team if he was the starter next year. I mean I think I think that we've we've seen the flashes you know when it when he's got an opportunity of what he's capable of doing.

Obviously I think that he has a strong arm. I think that he's you know a very smart quarterback. I mean he's he's learned from 12.

So you know I think that we see a little bit of you know that knowledge of the game kind of passed down to Jordan as well. And I think that you know regardless of his amount of reps that he's played. We still see a confidence in them. You know that he has that confidence to be you know that guy at quarterback. So you know I have no faith in 10. I have faith in 12. So let whatever happens fall in place. All right. We got through the Rogers part of this conversation which I know everyone's talking to you about it's the big story. So I'm sure you understand the Christian Watson here with us. Your favorite moment from this year as a rookie that you'll take with you forever was one.

I mean I think I think it would definitely have to be the. The entire idea of the Dallas game. You know obviously you know you've heard 12 say in interviews it was kind of like a you know weight was lifted off my shoulders.

You know I definitely think that that game was huge for you know it's my confidence in myself and then getting that confidence from everybody else and you know proving the world you know who I am as a receiver and you know proven what I'm capable of doing. If you weren't a football player what would you be doing. I'd be I'd be an I'd be Olympian right now. Oh really.

Yeah. I'd be running track for sure. Track and field gold medals. That's the dream. Well that would be the dream. Do you think you could be an Olympian and also go be elite wide receiver in the NFL. I think about that. No I mean I haven't tried to think about it too much as because you know I mean playing at the highest possible level in two sports would be pretty tough. You know I think there would definitely have to be.

Sacrifices in some areas on either end. So you know I haven't obviously put in put in thought I didn't even get to do track in college either. So it's been a while since I've done that. But I mean if I if I was doing one or the other I think I would be you know elite in either or obviously you know football being my number one passion obviously that's why I'm playing football. Both of them that you would be if you obviously focused on just one. Are you a big sports fan outside of football. I am.

Yeah. The reason I ask you that because last night I was out for dinner and the table over to us was Michael Parsons and it was right when the Kevin Durant news came down and it was just so interesting for me because I see it on my phone I reacted like oh my God. Kevin Durant just got traded to the sun's and you look over it's like oh Michael Parsons is a regular human being as well. He goes I can't believe Kevin Durant just got traded to the Phoenix Suns like when you see something like that last night.

What goes through your mind. It's crazy. I don't you know follow basketball too much. You know I do obviously know when big games are around or I mean obviously you know LeBron achieving you know what he achieved the other day and you know obviously that stuff is amazing to see. Because regular people I mean stuff you know hits us the same way that it you know hits everyone else you know especially when it has to do with other sports.

Christian Watson before we let you run. So there's a lot made about Rogers relationship with the younger receivers on the team like Romeo Dobbs is on Maggie and Perloff which airs here on CBS Sports Radio and said he's never hung out with Rogers outside the facility. Like is that a big deal. Have you ever hung out with Rogers outside the facility. Yeah no I mean I actually saw this the secondary interview with 12 after after all of that stuff was going on and he kind of talked about all of the events that he goes to you know when we hold like the player events outside of the stuff and you know I went to all of those as well so obviously I got to spend time with him at those events and there was quite a few of them outside the facility. And I got to you know obviously you know see you know how he was outside the facility and you know I mean I thought that you know I got to you know learn about him as a as a person and not just you know a football player quite a bit actually. You know going to those things and you know seeing him outside of football definitely you know helped the relationship grow a little bit more as well. And I mean it's always just crazy too because you see someone you know like Aaron Rodgers and you know you wouldn't really be able to you know kind of understand how he would you know be outside of football. I mean obviously you know he's just he's a regular guy to obviously you know laugh you know telling stories telling telling jokes.

And I think he's fun to be around. We're on in four stations in Wisconsin. We're on a bunch of stations nations. But to those Packers fans that are listening.

What's your message to them right now. We're coming back in 20 something three we're going for it all. Super Bowl. You think this team regardless who's playing quarterback. Rodgers a lot next year could be in the Super Bowl next year. That's the goal. Yes sir. You sell me on why that could happen. I mean I think that we saw flashes flashes of it this year.

You know I think that we just have to come together and I think if everyone goes into offseason with the correct mindset and grows a little bit more and you know what they think is going to that they need to grow in and you know we find some more consistency next year I think that you know we're a team that could be dominant. I know that everyone was telling me you're doing some charity work recently what do you got going on? Today actually I'm doing a Twitch Rivals Fortnite tournament and the prize pool there will be donated to a charity of me and my partner's choice.

I haven't decided on exactly which charity it is yet but obviously it's a pretty big prize pool so it would be really cool to to be able to do that and then tomorrow night as well going out going out and doing a Nike Youth Camp you know it's obviously helping the helping the kids around here's running through some football drills teach them teach them a couple things. Is that surreal to you now? Because like you grew up okay I want to be a football player now people come up to you and they're like Mr. Watson can I get a picture? Mr. Watson can I get your autograph? I always feel it's weird when people say Mr. Watson or like Mr. Gelb or something like that yeah no I mean it's like you're a young guy I'm a young guy it's just bizarre to me.

Yeah no it's it's crazy you know obviously having been in their shoes at some point you know you know looking up to the guys who are who are doing what I'm doing now it's crazy but I mean it's exactly you know what I what I've dreamed of doing and what I've wanted to achieve so I just obviously you know seeing it come to fruition is is just really exciting for me. Who wins the game on Sunday? I mean I have been I don't I don't have a team I'm rooting for or anything but you know I think I'd like to stay in the NFC and then just go with the Eagles. Alrighty Christian Watson appreciate you coming on throughout the season thanks so much for spending a few minutes with us.

Yeah of course thank you. The biggest game of the year the Super Bowl is on Odyssey and Westwood One brings it to you streaming live for free Sunday February 12th on the Odyssey app. The Eagles have been the NFC's best team. Touchdown Travis Kelcee. It's the Eagles versus the Chiefs. The Kansas City Chiefs. The Philadelphia Eagles are going to the Super Bowl.

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Get in the game and download the free Odyssey app today. Kevin Mack talks with Matt Hardy. There's nothing like a wrestling fan you know for better or for worse how do you handle that though we're talking about people talking about your family what they don't know about your family or your brother or you how does one handle that from a day to day basis. Something I joke about with the young bucks all the time I said if you would vanity search Matt Hardy on Twitter I said after you got through a hundred plows you'd want to quit the business and never never be seen again.

It's just you just learn to deal with it you know what I mean. It's the kick rocks wrestling podcast with Evan T. Mack. Subscribe now on the Odyssey app or ever you get your podcast. Kevin Mack talks with Matt Hardy. There's nothing like a wrestling fan you know for better or for worse how do you handle that though we're talking about people talking about your family what they don't know about your family or your brother or you how does one handle that from a day to day basis. Something I joke about with the young bucks all the time I said if you would vanity search Matt Hardy on Twitter I said after you got through a hundred plows you'd want to quit the business and never never be seen again.

It's just you just learn to deal with it you know what I mean. It's the kick rocks wrestling podcast with Evan T. Mack. Subscribe now on the Odyssey app or ever you get your podcast.