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SALT LAKE CITY -- Attitude, determination and grit comes in all shapes and sizes. But many of us, including myself, are drawn to the individual who has heard the put downs about size and speed, but yet they play on. They refuse to dwell on the negativity. In fact, it fuels them to do more, with less.
Walter Payton had those attributes. The late Hall of Famer refused to run out of bounds and always delivered the punishment, leaving a lasting impression on his opponents and gaining a deep respect from football fans even to this day. Pete Rose earned the nickname "Charlie Hustle" for a reason. John Stockton had that same nasty grit and determination and that's why his name is etched in the basketball Hall of Fame. Others never reach Hall of Fame status like Payton and Stockton, but they still bring that nasty attitude of... "You can't beat me".
Which brings me to Jazz point guard Earl Watson.
Whether you like his nickname, "The Bulldog," or not, that's what he reminds me of. Loyal, bite you if he has to, with a jump on the floor, follow me attitude. Earl shaped that personality as a kid in Kansas City. He played basketball at Washington High. And if my Kansas City memory serves me right, Washington High was one of those schools you'd soon stay clear of. Watson went on to play at UCLA, majored in history and to this day still stands as the Bruins all-time leader in steals and minutes played. Those two stats tell me he never backed down and never came off the floor.
The next step was the NBA. But there would be no 1st round call for Watson in the 2001 draft. No, Earl was selected with the 40th pick of round two by Seattle. So, the grit and determination grew a little deeper. He's traveled the league from Seattle, to Memphis and Denver, back to Seattle with a stop in Oklahoma City and Indiana before landing in Utah as Deron Williams' backup. When Jerry Sloan stepped down last year and the Jazz traded away Williams to New Jersey, there stood Earl Watson, helping to keep the Jazz from breaking in two.
Watson became a free-agent after the turmoil and his grit and play hard attitude didn't go unnoticed. The Jazz wanted him back and Watson wanted to return. Both got their wish and Earl has become one of the strongest voices on and off the floor for the franchise. He sees a young team with a... "Sky's the limit potential." He mentors Jeremy Evans, Alec Burks and Enes Kanter on how to be a professional athlete. And his nasty attitude on defense and timely alley-oops have become the calling card for Ty Corbin's bench.
This team would be soft without him.
When father time catches up and Earl views basketball in the rear view mirror, he'd like to return to law school. If Earl Watson is a bulldog on the basketball court, just think what he might become in the courtroom!
