Pascal L. "Pat" Watson Jr. (1984) - Hall of Fame

Pascal L. "Pat" Watson Jr.

Induction:
1984
Class:
1964

Pat Watson played center and linebacker for Mississippi State from 1961-1964. He lettered in the last three seasons of his career.

Watson became a starter for the Bulldogs during the 1962 season and would remain so throughout the duration of his career. He earned First Team All-SEC Honors in 1962, 1963 and 1964. Watson was apart of the 1963 team that went 7-2-2. That team earned a bid to play NC State in the Liberty Bowl, which was State’s first postseason appearance in 22 seasons. The Bulldogs earned a 16-12 victory. Watson was named the game’s MVP. After the 1963 season, Watson earned Second Team All-American Honors.

After the end of his collegiate career, Watson held a brief stint in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts. The end of his playing career saw the start of his coaching career in 1967, where he became a graduate assistant at North Carolina.

Watson’s coaching career would last for 32 seasons. After completing his graduate assistant position at North Carolina, he would earn his first spot at Furman, where he coached the 1969 season. He then returned to Starkville as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs during the 1970 and 71 seasons. From there, he would make assistant coaching stops at North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Texas.

Watson was in his second season as an assistant coach at Georgia when he passed away on September 25, 1999. Watson and his wife Freddie had two children, Jane and Cal.