JJ Watt plays for the Houston Texans. He played hockey, basketball, baseball, and track at school. The “Houston Texans” gave him a four-year deal, which they later extended to six years, after he succeeded in all categories except the 40-yard sprint in the NFL Draft.
He was selected NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, and Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. Injuries have troubled Watt.
JJ Watts’ Bio, Age
James Watt was born to Justin Connie in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on March 22, 1989. His father was a fireman and his mother a construction vice president. Derek and TJ Watt, his younger brothers, are also footballers.
After falling in love with football, he quit hockey at 13. He played basketball and baseball at Pewaukee High School. He established a school record and won the state shot put championship in 2007.
He was voted team MVP and Woodland Conference Player of the Year (MVP). Rivals.com and Scout.com gave him two stars. He played defensively for “Central Michigan” although being unranked.
Central Michigan University coach Butch Jones gave him a scholarship. He was instructed to play offense. He remained a defensive player. Later he also played as a defender at Wisconsin-Madison.
Career
He skipped his senior year at Wisconsin and entered the 2011 NFL Draft as a top performer in all categories except the 40-yard sprint. Houston Texans gave him a four-year, $11.24-million deal in July 2011.
The Texans made their first postseason appearance in 2011. Watt won “Texans Team Rookie of the Year.”
Watt’s best year was 2012. He has 20.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries. He was voted team MVP and AP Defensive Player of the Year.
His 2013 performance was also excellent. His squad struggled and mainly lost that season. Watt captained the “NFL Pro Bowl” that year.
He became the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback after signing a six-year, $100 million deal with the Texans in 2014. He scored the first “Texan” defensive touchdown that year. He was a 2014 “All-Pro First-Team” defensive player and “All-Pro Second-Team” defensive tackle. He won “Defensive Player of the Year” and the “Pro Bowl” in 2015.
He missed the 2016 “Pro Bowl” due to a hip injury and left-hand fracture. He underwent hip surgery. Herniated disc surgery limited his playing. He was 35th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.
He started in 2017 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Later in the season, a leg issue required a further operation.
Awards
In 2010, he was selected to the ‘All-Big Ten’ first-team and the ‘All-American’ first-team. He won the ‘Lott Trophy’ the same year.
He won NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, 2014, and 2015.
He has been selected to the ‘Pro Bowl’ and has been part of the ‘All-Pro’ first-team four times consecutively, from 2012 to 2015.
He was a winner of the ‘Bert Bell Award’ in 2014.
The “Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year” and “Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year” in 2017.
Watt is poor. As a kid, he had to give up hockey due to financial problems. He even worked as a pizza-delivery guy while in college. However, things changed as his professional football career developed. Over six feet tall, he weighs 131 kg. His strength has helped him play.
In 2017, he gave $100,000 and sponsored an internet campaign for relief efforts in the Houston region. He was named Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year for his philanthropy. He also shared the title of the ‘Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year.’
Who is JJ Watts’ Wife?
He’s dating Houston Dash captain and US women’s national soccer team player Kealia Mae Ohai. He was introduced to her by his teammate, Brian Cushing, who is married to her older sister.
Quick Facts about JJ Watts
In 2015, he was appointed the vice president of power relations for ‘Reliant,’ which is a part of ‘NRG Energy Inc.’
In 2018, he obtained an honorary doctorate degree from ‘Baylor College of Medicine.’ The Justin J. Watt Foundation encourages kids to play sports and avoid addictions that spoil childhood. The slogan of his company is “Dream Big, Work Hard.”
He has done minor roles in the movie ‘Bad Moms’ and the TV programs ‘New Girl’ and ‘The League.’