Vernon Burden, who teaches math at SHS and was Watson’s teammate for two years, remembers fondly how Watson made an impact on the team even as an underclassman.

“He wasn’t the focal point of the defense in tenth grade because we had a lot of guys who were going on to college,” says Burden, “Even as a sophomore, he was huge, so he demanded a lot of coverage.”

After tenth grade, Watson joined the school wrestling team; a move that Burden says made him more athletic. “We always used to joke about how he used to get cramps in his calves,” Burden says, “When he joined the wrestling team, it made him stronger.” Burden says that one of his favorite memories of Watson was his (Burden’s) senior year when Watson scored the only touchdown for SHS in a 12-6 loss to Southfield- Lathrup.

From there, Watson moved on to the University of Michigan, the school he had always dreamed of attending. “When I was six, I knew I wanted to go to Michigan,” he says, “I was humming the fight song; I didn’t know the words, but I told my family I was going there. I loved the helmet and it (the school) was close to home.”

Watson arrived as a highly touted high school prospect that was expected to make an impact on the Wolverines’ defense. He played sparingly in his first two years, which, he says, was frustrating for him, coming from a position where had the chance to play in every game. “It was tough going to college and not playing as much as I wanted to, but as the years went on, I grew and learned a lot more.”

Eventually, Watson earned more playing time and even started games at various defensive line positions. In all, he made 18 starts during his time at Michigan, while appearing in 45 games, and made 92 tackles in his career. He earned two consecutive All Big Ten first team honors as a junior and senior, and helped the Wolverines to two straight Rose Bowls. Watson says that the first appearance in the Rose Bowl, a 28-14 loss to USC, was his favorite moment at Michigan.

As successful as he was, Watson was often met with much criticism during his time at Michigan. People questioned his motivation and his ability to make plays. They felt that as a top prospect, he should have been playing at a higher level and wasn’t living up to his potential.

Watson counters that while he had the ability, some of the negativity attributed to him was a result of what his coaches wanted him to do. “Sometimes I was asked not to make a play, and I kind of had to be the sacrificial guy. Even though you know you can make the play, you have to listen to the coaches,” he says, “A lot of times it was coaches telling me, ‘Gabe, hold this guy up, and let the linebacker make the play.’ ”

Watson says, “People throw that word ‘potential’ around in a lot of ways. It’s almost impossible for anyone to reach their full potential. I know I haven’t reached my (full) potential. I know there’s more in me that I can bring out. You have to fit within a scheme to reach your full potential.”

Michigan finished 7-5 this year, with consecutive losses to Ohio State and against Nebraska in the Alamo Bowl. Watson had a fumble recovery against the Buckeyes in the loss and made two tackles against the Cornhuskers.

Watson admits that the loss to Nebraska hit him kind of hard. “It was disappointing because it was the worst season that Michigan had in almost 30 years. Being a part of that, you have to live with it, and I was down and super mad. But I knew I had bigger things ahead of me, so I couldn’t get too down.”

Watson was graduated from Michigan with a General Studies degree with an emphasis in Communications, African American Studies and Psychology.

As a graduate from metro-Detroit area who has made it to the NFL, he has become something of a role model to those around him. “Just playing college football is an inspiration to people,” he says. “A lot of parents will come up and tell me that their kids are doing better because of what they saw me do here. I grew up in Detroit, and it was tough with drugs and gun violence. When they (kids) see somebody make it, they know they’re gonna have hope.”

Now that he is in the NFL, he has launched himself to a new level of stardom and, in the process, may arguably become Southfield High’s most famous alumnus.

He said prior to the draft that he would prefer going somewhere warm, and now he gets that chance, playing in the balmy desert of Arizona. He says he’s looking forward to the transition from college to the pros. “The terminology will be hard for me,” he says. “There’s different football lingo anywhere you go. I’ll get the moves down based on that.”