Terrell Watson was one of those feel-good stories waiting to happen at the NFL draft in 2015.

Terrell Watson

As seen in the videos at the top and bottom of this page, ThePostGame profiled Watson as he prepared to have his name called on national TV.

He had overcome a learning disability to become a record-setting running back for Azusa Pacific, a Division II school near Los Angeles and alma mater of former Chiefs star Christian Okoye.

Azusa Pacific's offensive line coach Jackie Slater, a Hall of Famer who had blocked for Walter Payton and Eric Dickerson, vouched for Watson being good enough to play in the NFL.

Then Watson went undrafted.

The Bengals signed him. He spent the 2015 season on their practice squad.

The Browns signed him. He made the 53-man roster out of training camp but was cut before the first regular-season game. He spent half of the 2016 season on their practice squad.

The Broncos signed him. He spent six weeks on their practice squad, then got cut.

The Eagles signed him. After a week on the practice squad, Watson was activated for the 2016 regular-season finale against Dallas. He had nine carries for 28 yards plus one reception for five yards. He had made it to the NFL.

Terrell Watson

He scored a touchdown on a 1-yard run with less than two minutes left.

Watson Scores First NFL TD


"It's a moment you have to stop and just embrace it. It's just an opportunity that not many people get to do this. And it was awesome. It was an awesome feeling," Watson told PhiladelphiaEagles.com after the game. "You dream about moments like that sometimes. But you never know when it's going to come and I'm blessed enough to have an opportunity to play and have the opportunity to be called up the last game of the season and I'm happy with my end results. There's stuff I need to work on still, but I'm happy going into the new year knowing that I know where I stand and knowing the work I need to do."

But any celebration was short-lived. The Eagles cut him in the spring.

The Steelers signed him. With Le'Veon Bell missing training camp because of his contract status, Watson had the opportunity to shine. He led the NFL in preseason rushing with 173 yards on 37 carries and a touchdown.

"He has a distinguishing trait," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "He's a downhill runner and displayed that consistently."

Terrell Watson

Bell returned, and the Steelers had invested a third-round pick in local college star James Conner. But Watson made the team as the Steelers cut Fitzgerald Toussaint, who had been their No. 3 running back the previous two seasons.

"I have grown so much since my rookie year," Watson told his hometown paper, the Ventura County Star. "Being on different teams and getting to understand different offenses and how different things are run, has made me better.

"I have improved my ability to pick up blitzes, catching and running routes, which are all the things you need to be able to do to play in the NFL. It's been a long journey but I understand how the NFL works. All you need is one team to like you and if that happens, it can change your whole career."

He even earned a nickname from Tomlin -- "Nightmare" -- which is actually a compliment. Okoye was known as the "Nigerian Nightmare" for his physical style of running.

In the regular-season opener against the Browns, Watson didn't get any carries.

Steelers-Browns Week 1 Lineups 2017

But he was a fixture on special teams, a role he enjoyed at Azusa Pacific, despite being the team's star.

"I didn't play as much my senior year because I was the main running back but I love it," Watson told the Star.  "When you play offense you have three downs so you have to pace yourself, but on special teams it's one play so you can go all out."