The things that go along with being one of college football's elite quarterbacks -- high expectations, media demands, Heisman Trophy chatter and the like -- have gotten under Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson's skin.
The star junior suggested the attention has affected his play and led to a display of negative body language, despite a 2-0 start for the Tigers.
"Yeah, I'm not Superman. I had a talk with Coach (Dabo) Swinney this morning. I'm human, I make mistakes. I've started 22 games, and this is probably my worst game," Watson said of his performance Saturday in a 30-24 win over Troy, per TigerNet. "At the end of the day, we're 2-0. You live and learn, and you correct the mistakes. We could easily be 1-1 or 0-2, but we're 2-0. You correct the mistakes, and you move on. I had a reality check this weekend with myself because I wasn't really enjoying it."
Watson distancing himself from Superman status is an interesting stance to take, considering he counts Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton -- who does the Superman pose after scoring TDs -- as one of his mentors. The two have been friends since Watson first met the former Auburn quarterback in high school, and Watson said in July that the two remain in close touch.
Whatever advice Newton has had, it hasn't led to Watson playing at his best through two weeks of the season.
Watson completed 27-of-53 passes for 292 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions against Troy. Clemson led just 13-10 entering the fourth quarter. Watson believes his negativity emanated. He vowed Monday that he would project more positive energy going forward.
"This past weekend, you could just feel the energy starting with me being the leader of the team and not really enjoying it. You can tell my body language has been bad and then it spreads throughout the team and then it spreads throughout the fans," Watson said. "You can feel the energy in the stadium that people weren't really excited about the game."
NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah issued Watson a grade of B-minus for his play on Saturday. Clemson beat Auburn, 19-13, in Week 1, and Watson earned a B-minus for his performance in that game from NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks.
As a junior, Watson could be available in the 2017 NFL Draft if he chooses to apply for early eligibility after the season. An NFL quarterbacks coach said in January that Watson has the potential to be the No. 1 pick of the draft.
Translation: The pressure isn't changing.
They way Watson handles it, however, might be taking a turn.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
