2018: Played in all 16 games with five starts at FB…Posted four carries for 11 yards (2.8 avg.)…Added a two-yard reception…Recorded six tackles on special teams…Played in both postseason games, registering a one-yard catch that nearly went for a score…Awards: Selected as a third alternate for the Pro Bowl…vs. Kansas City (Sept. 9): Rushed for a one-yard gain to move the chains on third down in the second quarter…Pulled to the right on a play at the end of the first quarter and blocked DB Ron Parker to spring RB Melvin Gordon III free for an 18-yard rush…at Buffalo (Sept. 16): Made a block on LB Ramon Humber to spring Melvin Gordon free for a 20-yard TD in the first quarter…at Los Angeles Rams (Sept. 23): Saw limited action with a thumb injury, appearing on eight offensive snaps…Pulled to the left to block LB Ramik Wilson on a 20-yard scoring run by Melvin Gordon…Provided a sealing block for Austin Ekeler to post a game-long 32-yard carry in the third quarter…vs. San Francisco (Sept. 30): Appeared on 11 offensive plays, still limited by a thumb injury…vs. Oakland (Oct. 7): Played 14 offensive snaps and two on special teams, providing lead blocking for Melvin Gordon on a one-yard TD run…at Cleveland (Oct. 14): Pulled to the right in the second quarter to block DL Trevon Coley on a 13-yard run by Melvin Gordon…vs. Tennessee (Wembley Stadium, Oct. 21): Saw time on three offensive snaps and seven on special teams…at Seattle (Nov. 4): Made his first start of the season at FB, seeing time on 11 offensive plays and 14 on special teams…Blocked CB Shaquill Griffin to help Melvin Gordon reach the end zone in the second quarter on a 34-yard carry…Contributed on special teams with a tackle…at Oakland (Nov. 11): Started at FB for the second time in as many weeks…Carried the ball twice for two yards (1.0 avg.)…vs. Denver (Nov. 18): Posted a special teams tackle while appearing on 10 plays on offense and 23 on special teams…vs. Arizona (Nov. 25): Started at FB…Pulled to the left on a toss play to RB Justin Jackson in the third quarter to block LB Gerald Hodges…Notched a special teams tackle…at Pittsburgh (Dec. 2): Participated on 17 special teams plays and two on offense…vs. Cincinnati (Dec. 9): Recorded his first reception of the season for two yards…Blocked LB Nick Vigil to spring Austin Ekeler free for a 15-yard carry in the first quarter…Added a special teams tackle…at Kansas City (Dec. 13): Started at FB, playing six offensive snaps and totaling 16 plays on special teams…vs. Baltimore (Dec. 22): Saw time on three plays on offense and 20 on special teams after starting at FB…Recorded a tackle on special teams…at Denver (Dec. 30): Posted an eight-yard carry and a tackle on special teams…at Baltimore (AFC Wild Card, Jan. 6): Appeared on 10 offensive plays and 20 on special teams in the first postseason action of his career…Posted a one-yard catch that nearly went for a score…Blocked CB Jimmy Smith to help spring CB Desmond King II free for a 72-yard kickoff return…at New England (AFC Divisional, Jan. 13): Contributed on 26 plays on special teams.
2017: Appeared in all 16 games with four starts at FB, including the first back-to-back starts of his career…Registered six carries for 24 yards (4.0 avg.), two catches for 35 yards (17.5 avg.) and 11 tackles on special teams…Led the team with 335 snaps on special teams…at Denver (Sept. 11): Started at FB, seeing action on eight offensive plays and 19 on special teams…vs. Miami (Sept. 17): Opened the game at FB, marking his first start in two-consecutive games…Had a rushing attempt and a special teams tackle on punt coverage that pinned the Dolphins inside their own 20-yard line…vs. Kansas City (Sept. 24): Appeared on 12 offensive plays while contributing on 17 special teams snaps…vs. Philadelphia (Oct. 1): Played the 20th game of his career…Contributed on six offensive snaps and 17 on special teams…at New York Giants (Oct. 8): Posted a pair of special teams tackles on kickoff coverage, including one that forced the Giants to begin the drive inside their own 20…at Oakland (Oct. 15): Helped spring RB Melvin Gordon free on an 18-yard run in the third quarter…vs. Denver (Oct. 22): Registered a special teams tackle on kickoff coverage…at New England (Oct. 29): Started at FB, seeing action on five snaps on offense and 21 on special teams…at Jacksonville (Nov. 12): Played in the 25th game of his career…Hauled in his first catch of the season in the right flat and turned it into a 13-yard gain…Added a special teams tackle on kickoff coverage…vs. Buffalo (Nov. 19): Totaled two carries for 17 yards (8.5 avg.), including a career-long 17-yard carry…Added a special teams tackle on kickoff coverage…at Dallas (Nov. 23): Saw action on seven offensive plays and all 19 special teams snaps, marking the first Charger of the season to play all special teams snaps in a game...Notched a special teams tackle on kickoff coverage, pinning the Cowboys inside their 20-yard line…vs. Cleveland (Dec. 3): Posted a special teams tackle on kickoff coverage, pinning the Browns inside their own 20…vs. Washington (Dec. 10): Registered a two-yard carry on third down and a special teams tackle on punt coverage to force Washington to start the ensuing drive inside the 20…Provided a big block on three Redskins players to spring WR Travis Benjamin free for a 47-yard punt return in the fourth quarter…at Kansas City (Dec. 16): Posted his sixth-straight game with a special teams tackle, registering the stop on punt coverage to pin the Chiefs inside the 20 to start the ensuing drive…at New York Jets (Dec. 24): Extended his streak of games with a special teams tackle to seven, pinning the Jets inside their 20-yard line on punt coverage…Started at FB, playing six snaps on offense and a team-high 27 on special teams…Posted a three-yard carry and a season-long 23-yard catch…Provided the lead block for Melvin Gordon’s one-yard TD run in the third quarter…Chased down WR JoJo Natson for a special teams tackle on punt coverage, pinning New York at their five-yard line for the final offensive play…vs. Oakland (Dec. 31): Played 20 snaps on special teams and 12 on offense, registering a two-yard carry...Saw his seven-game streak with a special teams tackle come to an end.
2016: Appeared in all 16 games with two starts, posting four catches for 83 yards (20.8 avg.) and four rushing yards on two attempts (2.0 avg.)…Helped his two-year Wisconsin teammate (2013-14), RB Melvin Gordon, rush for 997 yards and 10 TDs with Pro Bowl honors…Awards: Pro Football Journal Second-Team All-Rookie (FB)…vs. Jacksonville (Sept. 18): Made the first start of his career, helping the offense post 150 rushing yards…at Oakland (Oct. 9): Recorded the first rushing attempt of his career, which went for two yards and a first down on third-and-one on a fourth quarter TD drive…at Denver (Oct. 30): Posted a 53-yard catch-and-run to the Denver nine-yard line to set up an opening drive TD.
COLLEGE: Played four seasons (2012-15) at Wisconsin after redshirting in 2011…Blocked for a rushing attack that featured RB Melvin Gordon that posted the two highest single-season rushing averages in school history: 283.8 yards-per-game in 2013 and 320.1 yards-per-game in 2014…Four-time Academic All-Big Ten (2012-15) and NFF Hampshire Honor Society in 2015…Member of the school’s Leadership Club.
PERSONAL: Given name Derek John Watt…Born in Waukesha, Wis. …Older brother is Houston DE J.J. Watt, a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and younger brother is Pittsburgh LB T.J. Watt…All three brothers attended Wisconsin…Married his wife, Gabriella, in February 2018…The couple welcomed their son, Logan, on their first wedding anniversary in February 2019…Blocked for Chargers RB Melvin Gordon III for two seasons at Wisconsin (2013-14)…Earned a degree in marketing from Wisconsin…High School: Named All-America by USA Today and The Associated Press Wisconsin Player of the Year as a senior at Pewaukee (Wis.) High…Also earned first-team All-State, All-Conference and All-County honors as a senior…Posted 2,685 rushing yards and 44 TDs for his prep career…Lettered in football, baseball and track & field…Was a member of National Honor Society and earned Academic All-Conference recognition.
2016 Selected by San Diego Chargers in the sixth round (198th overall) of NFL Draft, April 30 (pick acquired from Minnesota for G Jeremiah Sirles), April 30…Signed rookie contract, May 10.
