“I love history, and there’s so much history here,” Watson said. “Each day it gets better and better. I love the people and the food has been really good too.”
By Abigail Klein Leichman, ISRAEL21c
NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson and quarterback trainer Quincy Avery are touring Israel this week, accompanied by an Emmy-nominated film crew making a documentary about the star Houston Texans football player.
The 23-year-old devout Christian said he was thrilled to be offered the opportunity of a week-long trip to Israel by America’s Voices in Israel, Americasvoices.us a US non-profit organization that brings celebrities and athletes to Israel.
“I’m a big traveler — I like to experience different cultures and I love history, and there’s so much history here,” Watson told ISRAEL21c in a phone call on his way to see the sights of Jerusalem on the fourth day of the visit. “Each day it gets better and better. I love the people and the food has been really good too.”
In addition to historical and religious sites in Jerusalem, Shilo and the Galilee, Watson and Avery are touring Tel Aviv, the Dead Sea, and Masada; dining at famed eateries including Tel Aviv’s Malka and Whiskey Bar, Jerusalem’s Crave, and Decks in Tiberias; and visiting a boutique winery, Jerusalem’s Machane Yehuda Market and the Jaffa Flea Market.
Their June 20 evening itinerary began with a briefing about Israeli innovation from venture investing platform OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved on the roof of Jerusalem’s Tower of David Museum.
Medved told ISRAEL21c his main message to Watson is that Israel is on the fast track to becoming a world power in sports technology – adding to its established reputation in high-tech solutions for mobility, cybersecurity, agriculture and digital health.
No doubt Watson already knew that it was an Israeli multidimensional video imaging invention from Replay Technologies — acquired by Intel in 2016 for $175 million – that has revolutionized the way fans experience NFL football and the all-important Super Bowl.
Medved noted that Replay was OurCrowd’s first sports-tech investment. OurCrowd has since established a $50 million ADvantage sports-tech fund.
“Deshaun was quoted as saying he’s fallen in love with Israel,” said Medved. “What we offer to people like Deshaun is a way to actualize and connect to that love.
“When you come here and see this incredible country and its innovation you want to do something with it, whether investing or advising these companies that are not only making money but, in many cases, doing good and having a positive social impact around the world.”