Bucs rookie defensive tackle Desmond Watson is all smiles right now. His cheeks are a little slimmer and his belly is trimmer.

After missing all of training camp due to being on the NFI (non-football illness) list for being overweight, Watson has worked diligently to lose enough weight to be signed to the team’s practice squad on September 23 after being released at the end of the preseason.

“I’m proud of it,” Watson said of his weight loss, speaking to the media for the first time since being signed to the practice squad. “It’s a good number – obviously good enough to be signed back. I don’t want to say a specific number, but it’s been enough to obviously get signed back. I’m blessed.”

Watson is still listed at 449 pounds on the Bucs team website, which is known to be notoriously wrong and not frequently updated. That was what Watson weighed back in May after he was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Florida.

Watson looks noticeably thinner and much closer to 400 pounds than 450 pounds.

Not practicing with the team during training camp was very hard for Watson mentally. He would do his conditioning before or after practice, opting to watch practice from the sidelines so he could take mental reps and stay engaged with what the Bucs defense was doing on the field.

Bucs DT Desmond Watson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“That was the longest I’ve had without practicing against people since I was like seven years old,” Watson said. “That was tough. It was definitely an adjustment, but it feels great to practice now. I feel blessed to be able to help this organization any way possible, so getting back into it, it feels great.”

Watson has yet to be elevated for a game during the season since his return to the team prior to the Eagles game in Week 4. But he says he’s ready to help the team if necessary, from a physical and mental standpoint.

“I feel like I’m in a good position,” Watson said. “We [on the practice squad] are in all the meetings and we go through all of the installs, so I’m in a good position. I usually do a good job of learning installs.”

Desmond Watson Had To Improve His Relationship With Food To Return To Bucs

Desmond Watson weighed 380 pounds coming out of nearby Armwood High School and he’s battled his weight during his whole life. At his pro day at Florida, where he weighed 464 pounds back in the spring, he discussed his addiction to food. Watson gained over 80 pounds while in the Gators football program and his weight was heading in the wrong direction.

Working with the Buccaneers nutrition and dietary staff as well as the team’s strength and conditioning staff, Watson has improved his eating habits and that has been a big key to his weight loss this summer.

Bucs DT Desmond Watson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I’ve always been an athlete and been able to do athletic things,” Watson said. “But the big thing I see as to what was holding me back was dieting. That was a major part of it. I’ve always been working out and things like that throughout my life. The thing I had to change was the way I ate and my relationship with food.

“I had to get on a support system with people I trusted to hold me accountable. It’s not always easy taking tips from people, but I had to get around certain people that was okay with holding me accountable and I keep them close to me now.”

One of those people in Watson’s corner is Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea, who weighs 347 pounds and has struggled with his weight in the past. Watson’s locker is close to Vea’s and he has looked up to the 30-year-old defensive lineman since even before he signed with Tampa Bay.

“A person in my situation I feel like I should be a shadow for a player like Vita,” Watson said. “He’s a great player in the game; a long-time vet and he’s motivated a guy like me. So, I try to sit here and be a sponge and learn everything I can from him – inside and out and the way he prepares.”

Desmond Watson Has Looked Good On Tampa Bay’s Scout Team

While the dreams of Bucs fans seeing Desmond Watson and Vita Vea lining up together to try to stop the Eagles’ “Tush Push” play were dashed when he was not elevated from the practice squad to the active roster, Watson did help out the team while preparing to play Philadelphia. The 400-pound Watson played the role of 350-pound Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis in practice to help the Bucs offense prepare.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles recently said that Watson “looks good” upon rejoining the team.”

“[He displayed] good quickness, a lot of technique,” Bowles said. “It’s just a matter of getting the system down, but he gave us a great look [prior to the Eagles game]. He’ll get more reps next week, and we’ll keep working him.”

After he was released by the Bucs in early September, Watson used his time wisely, diligently working out on his own to continue to lose weight with the hopes of being signed to Tampa Bay’s practice squad.

Bucs DT Desmond Watson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Basically, it was like a little small offseason, trying to focus on creating better habits for myself in order to get back and do the right thing,” Watson said. “It was very mental. It was hard mentally for sure [not practicing during training camp]. I looked at it like another break and another chance to get ready for another opportunity.

“I had two or three workouts a day – it was usually mostly running. But the biggest thing for me was just getting right and having a better relationship with food mentally. That was the biggest part for me. I’ve always been athletic and able to do athletic things like that. But for me it was mostly how I scheduled my eating and getting better with things like that.”

Watson is highly motivated to continue to lose weight, help the Bucs any way he can and remain a part of the team moving forward.

“I feel blessed,” Watson said. “I feel like I’m in a position a lot of people don’t get to say that they’re in. I get a chance to learn and be better – even outside of football I get to learn a lot of things that have helped me in life. I feel blessed to be in this opportunity.”