Demond Watson is back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being released in preseason.The undrafted free agent missed all of training camp on the NFI list due to his weight and drew sympathy when photos of him watching his teammates from the sideline went viral. Set to become the heaviest player in NFL history when he makes the active roster, Watson has been following a personal fitness programme and lost enough weight to be added to the practice squad on September 23.“I’m proud of it,” he said of his weight loss. in his first media appearance since returning. “It’s a good number – obviously good enough to be signed back. “I don’t want to say a specific number, but it’s been enough to obviously get signed back. I’m blessed.”How much does Desmond Watson weigh?Watson is listed at 449 pounds on the Bucs website – the same as when he signed – but those figures are often out of date. The San Antonio Spurs recently added two inches to Victor Wembanyama‘s height, for example.Watson admits that being unable to participate was a huge blow – and motivated him to get in shape.“That was the longest I’ve had without practicing against people since I was like seven years old,” Watson said. “That was tough. It was definitely an adjustment, but it feels great to practice now. “I feel blessed to be able to help this organization any way possible, so getting back into it, it feels great.”“I feel like I’m in a good position. We [on the practice squad] are in all the meetings and we go through all of the installs, so I’m in a good position. I usually do a good job of learning installs.”Watson weighed 380 pounds out of high school and at one point reached 464 pounds while a Florida Gator.He has admitted to struggling with his relationship with food, but Tampa Bay’s staff has helped him get back on the right path.Watson was seen doing laps instead of participating in drills before being cutThe former Florida star gained around 80 pounds in collegeGetty“I’ve always been an athlete and been able to do athletic things,” Watson said. “But the big thing I see as to what was holding me back was dieting. That was a major part of it.“I’ve always been working out and things like that throughout my life. The thing I had to change was the way I ate and my relationship with food.“I had to get on a support system with people I trusted to hold me accountable.“It’s not always easy taking tips from people, but I had to get around certain people that was okay with holding me accountable and I keep them close to me now.“Basically, it was like a little small offseason, trying to focus on creating better habits for myself in order to get back and do the right thing.“It was very mental. It was hard mentally for sure [not practicing during training camp].NFL's Greatest......Ranking the top 10......Quarterbacks of all-time – Can anyone better Tom Brady?Wide receivers of all-time – Does Randy Moss or Jerry Rice come out on top?Running backs of all-time – Stacking Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith and moreTight ends of all-time – How does Travis Kelce compare?“I looked at it like another break and another chance to get ready for another opportunity.“I had two or three workouts a day – it was usually mostly running. But the biggest thing for me was just getting right and having a better relationship with food mentally. That was the biggest part for me. “I’ve always been athletic and able to do athletic things like that. But for me it was mostly how I scheduled my eating and getting better with things like that.”Pro Bowl teammate Vita Vea is listed at 347 pounds and has been helping the youngster.“A person in my situation I feel like I should be a shadow for a player like Vita,” Watson said. “He’s a great player in the game; a long-time vet and he’s motivated a guy like me. “So, I try to sit here and be a sponge and learn everything I can from him – inside and out and the way he prepares.”Vea is a dominant for on the interior of the Bucs lineThere were suggestions that Watson could be called up to the active roster against the Philadelphia Eagles to help shut down the Tush Push but it did not come to fruition.He did help prepare the Bucs by playing 336-pound Eagles lineman Jordan Davis’ role on the scout team.Head coach Todd Bowles is happy with the former Gator’s progress.“[He displayed] good quickness, a lot of technique,” Bowles said. “It’s just a matter of getting the system down, but he gave us a great look [prior to the Eagles game]. He’ll get more reps next week, and we’ll keep working him.”Despite being cut, Watson is in a great place as he tries to carve out a future for himself.“I feel blessed,” he said. “I feel like I’m in a position a lot of people don’t get to say that they’re in.“I get a chance to learn and be better – even outside of football I get to learn a lot of things that have helped me in life. I feel blessed to be in this opportunity.”Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for news, exclusive interviews and more.