It has been said that the four (or five) years a person spends in college will shape that person for the rest of their life.

Deon Watson showed up on campus at the University of Idaho in Moscow in the fall of 2012 following a stellar high school career at Coeur d’Alene High — a two-sport standout the played on two state championship football teams, and a state-qualifying basketball squad.

Since then, he’s experienced the realities of college athletics, and life — a coaching change, a (quasi) position change, and the death of a close relative, just to name a few.

And now, just prior to playing in his final football game of his college career, well, it seems all those experiences have shaped him quite nicely for the future.

“It’s something my dad (former Idaho basketball star Deon Watson) instilled in me — no matter how rough it gets, it’s kinda like life, you’ve got to get through it. You can’t just quit. I knew that if I quit, and transferred from Idaho, I would have to start all over. And I was confident in my ability that I would get better each year.”

Heading into Thursday’s Famous Idaho Potato Bowl matchup in Boise vs. Colorado State (4 p.m., ESPN, 92.5 FM), the 6-foot-4, 221-pound Watsonn now a wide receiver/tight end, is second on the Vandals (8-4) this season with 36 receptions, for 555 yards and two touchdowns. For his Idaho career, he has 144 catches for 1,852 yards and 13 TDs.

“Deon’s came a long ways,” said Idaho head coach Paul Petrino, who also coaches the receivers. “When he started out, he was a tall, skinny receiver that was making plays for us, and we’ve continued to improve on that. And then these last two years he really built himself up and got bigger and stronger and now’s he’s playing both tight end and receiver for us and has made all kids of plays for us. He’s been a playmaker for us, that’s for sure.”

Watson was recruited by Idaho by the staff of the previous head coach, Robb Akey. During his redshirt season, Akey was fired with four games remaining. Shortly after the season ended, Petrino was hired to coach the Vandals.

Watson was part of a recruiting class which included defensive backs Russell Siavii and Jayshawn Jordan, and thought he could be part of a class that turned the Vandals around.

It wasn’t easy.

In Petrino’s first two seasons at Idaho, the Vandals won just one game each season. Idaho’s last bowl appearance, in 2009, was a fading memory.

Players transferred, including Watson’s friend and classmate at Coeur d’Alene, quarterback Chad Chalich.

“It did cross my mind and, around that time that Chad transferred, that would have been the time that I would have left,” Watson said. “I talked to my parents (Deon and Anna) ... although I wasn’t getting many balls, I felt that Petrino had faith in my ability. It was hard, but I had a feeling that I knew I was going to grow. And I felt like I did each year. I felt like I got better and better.”

Watson said a big turning point in his Vandal career came between his sophomore and junior seasons. Solely a wide receiver then, he went to Petrino’s office and asked how he could get on the field more. They found a way to do that, by playing Watson some at wideout and some at tight end.

“Once I really had that talk with him, we were on the same page,” Watson said. “I felt like that was a big turning point in my career.”

As a junior, Watson caught 47 passes for 675 yards and nine touchdowns — all career highs as a Vandal.

“It was a little bit his idea and my idea,” Petrino said. “Anytime you make a move like that, the player has to be bought into it in order for it to work and he definitely was. It was a good opportunity for him, and it really helped the team out, so it was a win-win.”

“In this program, you’ve got to take initiative if you want the ball, and you’ve got to prove yourself over time, and over practice,” Watson said. “It was coach being able to trust me on certain plays, and making sure whenever I had an opportunity to run those certain plays that I did them the best I could. And whether that was at receiver or tight end, I just wanted to make sure that I was available. I wasn’t necessarily caught up in what position I wanted to play, I just really wanted the ball in my hands.”

During Watson’s junior season, his grandfather, Vanner Hegbloom of Mullan, passed away. His service was on a Saturday morning in Coeur d’Alene. The Vandals had a game in Moscow that afternoon.

“When he passed away, I wanted to be there for the service,” Watson said. “As the oldest grandchild, I felt responsibility to speak on behalf of the grandchildren.”

Right after the service, Deon’s dad drove him straight to Moscow. Deon had missed the Friday night team gathering, and the pregame warmup before Saturday’s game.

“The only reason I played in that game was because my grandpa; he was a big fan, he watched almost all my games. I felt he would have wanted me to play, and I felt like he was watching me that game. It ended up being a pretty good game (he caught three passes, two for touchdowns, in a 27-13 victory over Louisiana-Monroe), and I knew he was there with me. I really just had time to throw on my pads and run out, get a quick warmup and go.”

Prior to his senior season, Watson switched his jersey number from 83 to 3.

“I told them the 3 was to represent the three Watson kids (including Haile, a junior middle blocker on the Fresno State volleyball team; and Anton, a sophomore standout at Gonzaga Prep). “83 is also very close to me. That was number was just given to me, but coincidentally I found out that Coeur d’Alene and Moscow are 83 miles apart so I kinda just stuck with it throughout the years. But my last year I wanted to let my little brother know and let my little sister know that I was there for them.”

Watson said he wore 81 in high school because he was a big fan of Terrell Owens, though “no Sharpies, and no cell phones,” Deon said.

Watson has joked in the past about his speed — or lack thereof.

Don’t believe him. The DBs burned by him for TDs certainly don’t.

“I do like it when people underestimate me,” Watson said. “I may have a little bit longer of a stride, but I feel when I’m on the field, I’m fast enough to compete with anybody. I feel like I’ve proved myself against guys that have ran 4.3s, 4.4s. I try to find a way to run by them. I don’t really talk too much trash, but I give them that smirk like, ‘yeah, I’m not that slow, am I?’”

Watson graduated earlier this month, with a degree in general studies, and an emphasis on nutrition. In January, he plans to head to Seattle to train for pro day, but he says he plans to return to Moscow eventually and finish his course work in nutrition.

“He can come off the ball and make plays and get separation,” Petrino said. “Sometimes, the biggest thing they want to see at the next level is the ability to get separation and make plays when you’re covered. And his long arms and his body help him get that separation. Sometimes, even if he’s covered, he can go make the play with his long arms, and snatch the ball away from people.”

Deon says his dad’s biggest impact on him has been more in the mental aspect of the game.

“I might not be the loudest guy on the field, or the most rambunctious, but when you watch him, that guy works hard, he’s tough,” Deon said. “That’s what I wanted people to think of me when I played. That’s kinda how my dad viewed himself when he played basketball. No one was going to outwork him, and he was a tough guy.”

Those traits certainly helped Deon the son through the tough times — getting up at 5:30 a.m. for a workout following a 1-11 season, trying to make an impression on a coaching staff that didn’t recruit you.

So far, so good. The gratification comes from helping turn a program around, from two wins in the first two seasons to 12 wins in the last two. And then there’s the personal growth.

“I feel like I’ve grown as an adult,” Watson said. “I’ve definitely had my fair share of bad times, and fair share of good times. My time at Idaho has been great; it’s going to be a part of me forever, and who I am, and I’m forever indebted to the university for the good and the bad times, because it molded me into the person that I am. Not quitting is something that I’m going to take on for the rest of my life.”