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J. J. Watt

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J. J. Watt
refer to caption
JJ Watt in 2012
No. 99 – Houston Texans
Position:Defensive End
Personal information
Born: (1989-03-22) March 22, 1989 (age 35)
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Career information
College:Wisconsin
NFL draft:2011 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
NFL
College
  • Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (12-5-09, 10-23-10, 11-27-10)
  • Wisconsin Team Co-MVP (2010)
  • Lott Trophy (2010)
  • Second-team All-American (2010)
  • Honorable mention All-Pac-12
  • Academic All-Big Ten
Career NFL statistics as of 2014
Tackles:295
Quarterback sacks:57.0
Passes defended:37
Forced fumbles:12
Interceptions:1
Touchdowns:5

Justin James "J. J." Watt[2] (born March 22, 1989) is an American football defensive end for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Wisconsin and was drafted 11th overall by the Houston Texans in the 2011 NFL Draft. He won the AP Defensive Player of the Year award in 2012 and 2014.[3]

Early life and high school career

Watt was born on March 22, 1989 in Waukesha, Wisconsin[4] to parents Connie and John Watt, who is a firefighter. Watt’s brothers, Derek and TJ, are both students and football players at the University of Wisconsin. Watt played hockey from the age of four to age 13[5] and also played for travel teams, which traveled to Canada and Germany. He gave up hockey when weekly games started to conflict with his schedule and also due to the financial burden of the equipment and the need to replace it.[6] Watt also played football throughout his childhood and became passionate about football while he was in fifth grade.[5]

Watt attended Pewaukee High School, where he was a four-year letterwinner in football and also lettered in basketball, baseball and track and field.[7] During his senior year, he was selected for first-team All-State. During this time, he became a breakout football player, earning the Woodland Conference Player of the Year Award his senior year, and first-team All-State, All-County, All-Area, and All-Conference selections as tight end and defensive end. He was also named the team’s MVP.[8] During his senior year at Pewaukee High, Watt accumulated a total of 399 receiving yards, 26 catches, and 5 touchdowns.[9]

Also a standout in track & field, Watt followed in his father's footsteps and competed in the shot put during his senior season, earning first-team All-state selection.[10][11] He ended up capturing the state title in the shot put at the 2007 WIAA Division II Championship, setting a new school-record with a throw of 59 ft, 11.5 in (18.28 meters).[12]

Recruiting

Regarded only as a two-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com, Watt was ranked neither among the top tight end nor among the top defensive end prospects in his class. He was, however, the No. 7 rated prospect out of the state of Wisconsin. After official visits to Central Michigan, Colorado, and Minnesota, Watt chose to play for Central Michigan.[13]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40‡ Commit date
J. J. Watt
Defensive End 		Pewaukee, WI Pewaukee HS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 290 lb (130 kg) 4.70 Jan 30, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:2/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 63
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: NR   Rivals: NR  ESPN: 172 (DE)
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Central Michigan Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  • "2007 Central Michigan Football Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  • "2007 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2014-05-20.

College career

Watt after the Badgers vs. Northwestern game in 2010

Central Michigan

Watt received a scholarship offer from Central Michigan University and committed there. There, Watt was led to believe he would be scoring touchdowns at his position as tight end. However, after only eight catches and 2007 nearing its end, Watt knew that was not the case. He was approached by coaches to move to offensive tackle, but this move did not play a role in his leaving, as Watt felt that there was no room for him to grow. He also wanted to move closer to home and play defensive end at Wisconsin, so Watt gave up his starting spot and scholarship to walk-on at the University of Wisconsin.[14] At Central Michigan, he played 14 games, compiled a total of 77 receiving yards and 8 receptions.[8] On October 27, 2007, in a game against Kent State, Watt had two receptions for 23 yards, a career-high.[8]

Wisconsin

At the University of Wisconsin, Watt was redshirted for the 2008 season and was named Wisconsin’s Scout Team Player of the Year. In 2009, Watt played in 13 games as defensive end. In a game against Hawaii on December 5, 2009, Watt had a career-high of two sacks for nine yards, three tackles for loss, six tackles, and one quarterback hurry. Watt finished the season with 32 solo tackles, 12 assisted tackles, four and a half sacks, 15.5 tackles for loss, and five passes defended. He also earned his first letter. In 2010, Watt played in 13 games and led the team in tackles for loss, quarterback hurries, blocked kicks, and forced fumbles. He finished the season with 42 solo tackles, 20 assisted tackles, 21 tackles for loss, seven sacks, one interception for 15 yards, nine passes defensed, and three fumbles forced. He earned the Ronnie Lott Trophy in 2010, voted AP and Sports Illustrated second-team All- American, All-Big Ten first-team, academic All-Big Ten, and was voted the team’s MVP.[8]

College Statistics

Year Team Tackles TFL–yards Sacks–yards FR
2009 Wisconsin 44 15.5–53 4.5–19 2
2010 Wisconsin 59 21.0–91 7.0–56 2
College totals 103 36.5–144 11.5–75 4

Professional career

2011 NFL Draft

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press Wonderlic
6 ft 5 in
(1.96 m) 		290 lb
(132 kg) 		34 in
(0.86 m) 		11+1⁄8 in
(0.28 m)		 2.5 s 1.64 s 2.71 s 4.21 s 6.88 s 37 in
(0.94 m)		 10 ft 0 in
(3.05 m)		 34 reps 31
All values from NFL Combine,[15] Wonderlic score from ProFootballWeekly[16]

Houston Texans

Watt decided to forgo his senior season and entered the 2011 NFL Draft. At the 2011 NFL Combine, Watt completed the 40 yard dash in 4.84 seconds, did 34 reps on the bench press, recorded a 37-inch vertical jump and 120 broad jump, completed the three cone drill in 6.88 seconds, and finished the 20 yard shuttle in 4.21 seconds. Watt was a top performer in all categories, except the 40 yard dash.[17] On April 28, 2011, he was selected in the first round by the Houston Texans and was the 11th pick overall.[18] The Texans signed Watt to a four-year, $11.24 million contract on July 31, 2011.[19]

2011 Season

In 2011, Watt started all 16 games and finished the season with 48 solo tackles, eight assisted tackles, and five and a half sacks. In 2011, the Texans went to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Watt recorded 11 solo tackles, three assisted tackled, one interception returned for a touchdown, one pass defensed, and four sacks in two games. Watt was named Texans Team Rookie of the Year, USA Today All-Joe Team, and Pro-Football Weekly/PWFA All-Rookie Team.[20]

2012 Season

Watt during 2014 Pro Bowl coin toss

In 2012, Watt had one of the best seasons for a defensive player in NFL history. Watt finished the season with 69 solo tackles, 12 assisted tackles, 20.5 sacks, 16 passes defensed, four forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. Watt was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for the week of September 16, 2011, and December 23, 2011.[21] On November 22, 2012, in a game against the Detroit Lions, Watt recorded three sacks, to give him a total of 14.5, breaking the Texans record for sacks in a season, which was previously held by Mario Williams.[22] The Texans made the playoffs again in 2012, and Watt recorded six solo tackles, three assisted tackles, two passes defensed, two sacks in two games.[20] Watt finished the season 2.5 sacks shy of Michael Strahan’s single-season record for sacks, set in 2001.[23] Watt was named to the 2013 NFL Pro-Bowl Team on December 26, 2012. Watt also was named Texans Team Most Valuable Player, USA Football Fundamentals Team, PFW First-Team All-Pro, Pro Football Weekly/PFWA Most Valuable Player, NFL 101 AFC Defensive Player of the Year, AP First-Team All-Pro, and the AP Defensive Player of the Year.[24] Watt received 49 out of 50 votes for the Defensive Player of the Year award. He is the first Texans player to receive a NFL player of the year award.[25] Watt was the 17th defensive lineman and only the eighth defensive end to receive the award since 1971.[26] Watt also made the highest debut on NFL Network’s Top 100 list for 2012, coming in at number five.[27]

2013 Season

Watt during the 2014 Pro Bowl

In 2013, Watt recorded 65 solo tackles, 15 assisted tackles, seven passes defensed, 10.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.[24] The Texans, however, had a losing season and finished with a 2-14 record.[24] Watt was named to the 2014 NFL Pro-Bowl and was the Pro-Bowl Captain.[24]

2014 Season

Prior to the start of the 2014 season, the Houston Texans and JJ Watt agreed to a six-year contract extension, worth $100 million.[28] Watt received $30.876 million at signing and he will receive $21 million at the start of the 2016 season if he is on the roster. This contract makes him the NFL’s highest paid non-quarterback, based on average yearly salary.[29]

In a game against the Oakland Raiders, on September 14, 2014, Watt became the first defensive player in Texans history to score a touchdown from scrimmage. Watt scored the touchdown on a one-yard catch after coming into the game as a tight end.[30] Watt scored his second touchdown of the season on September 28, 2014, against the Buffalo Bills. Watt picked off a pass from Buffalo’s E.J. Manuel that was intended for Fred Jackson, and returned 80 yards for the touchdown. With this touchdown, Watt became tied at sixth for the longest interception return by a defensive lineman. Watt’s touchdown was also the fourth longest interception return in Houston Texans history.[31] During the game, Watt hit Manuel nine times, but was flagged twice for roughing the passer. Watt was fined $16,537 for only one of the incidents.[32] Watt was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for September.[33]

In a game against the Indianapolis Colts, on October 9, 2014, Watt forced Colts quarterback Andrew Luck to fumble the ball. Watt recovered the ball and returned 45 yards for the touchdown.[34]

For his fourth touchdown of the season, Watt caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Texans quarterback, Ryan Mallett, for Mallett’s first career touchdown pass. Watt recorded 4 solo tackles, one assisted tackle, one sack, one forced fumble, and fumble recovery in the same game, which was on November 16, 2014, against the Cleveland Browns.[35]

Watt scored his fifth touchdown on November 30, 2014, catching a one-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Texans quarterback. With this reception, Watt became the first defensive lineman to have scored at least five touchdowns in a season since 1944.[36]

On December 21, Watt recorded his 54th sack as a Texan in a win against the Baltimore Ravens. With that sack, he surpassed Mario Williams as the franchise leader in sacks. J.J. Watt's 54th sack On December 28, 2014, Watt had a sack for his first career safety against the Jacksonville Jaguars which gave him 3 sacks on the day and 20.5 on the season, becoming the first player in NFL history to have 20 or more sacks in separate seasons.[37] Watt also finished the season with a career-high 5 fumble recoveries and 5 touchdowns.

For his outstanding season, Watt was unanimously named to the 2014 All-Pro First Team as a defensive end and named to the All-Pro second team as a defensive tackle. Watt was also named to the 2015 Pro Bowl where Cris Carter, team captain of Team Carter, selected Watt to be his captain on defense. During the game, Watt recorded a fumble recovery and an interception and after the game was named Defensive MVP. He also won the Defensive Player of the Year award, one of the few to win the award multiple times. He also became the first defensive player since 2008 to get votes for the MVP award, receiving 13.[38]

Season Stats

Tackles Sacks Fumbles Interceptions Other Receiving Ref.
Year Team GP COMB SOLO AST SACK FF FR Fum YDs TD INT Int YDs AVG LNG TD PD STF STFYDS SFTY KB REC TGTS YDS AVG LNG TD FD
2011 HOU 16 56 48 8 5.5 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 9 18 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 [39]
2012 HOU 16 81 69 12 20.5 4 2 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 23 63 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2013 HOU 16 80 65 15 10.5 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 15 28 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2014 HOU 16 78 59 19 20.5 4 5 59 1 1 80 80 80 1 10 15 34 1 1 3 3 4 1.3 2 3 3

Texans franchise records

  • Most career sacks (57), surpassing Mario Williams on December 21, 2014.[40]
  • Most career forced fumbles (12) on December 28, 2014.[40]

Personal life

Watt (right) with Davin Joseph (second from left) and two U.S. soldiers at Regional Command South in March 2013

While an undergrad at the University of Wisconsin-Madison he delivered pizzas for a Madison Pizza Hut.[41] In 2011, Watt purchased a four-bedroom, 4,000-square-foot house in Pearland, Texas, for $400,000, using money he earned from his rookie contract to buy it.[35]

In January 2015, Watt purchased a 4,500 sq. ft. cabin with 35-acres in Wisconsin for $800,000.[42] The cabin is 15 miles away from his home town of Pewaukee.[43]

Charitable work

Watt is the president and founder of the Justin J. Watt Foundation, a charity organization that provides after-school opportunities for children in various communities, in order for them to get involved in athletics in a safe environment. Watt’s mother, Connie, is the vice president of the organization. Watt and the JJ Watt Foundation host a Charity Classic, Run/Walk, Golf Outing, and Tailgate annually. The Charity Classic is a softball game held at Constellation Field, in Sugar Land, Texas, in which Texans players participate in a game, and Home Run Derby to raise money for the foundation.[44] The inaugural Charity Classic game was in 2013, and the 2014 Charity Classic raised over $436,433 towards his foundation.[45] On August 26, 2014, Watt received the Texans Spirit of the Bull Community Award.[46] On November 14, 2014, Watt was nominated for the NFL’s Salute to Service Award that honors either a coach, player, or owner for their efforts in supporting the country’s service men and women.[47]

References

  1. ^ Gantt, Darin. "J.J. Watt is the AFC defensive player of the month". NBC Sports. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  2. ^ Lucas, Mike (2011-07-19). "Lucas at Large: Catching up with J.J. Watt". UWBadgers.com. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  3. ^ Rosenthal, Gregg. "J.J. Watt wins Defensive Player of the Year award". NFL.com. National Football League. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  4. ^ "J.J. Watt Stats, News, Video". ESPN.com. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  5. ^ a b Ashley, Schumacher. "My Three Sons: Badger Mom Proud of Watt Brothers On, Off Field". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  6. ^ Pinchevsky, Tal. "NFL star J.J. Watt maintains love for hockey". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  7. ^ "Texans' J.J. Watt has high school jersey retired at Pewaukee (Photos)".
  8. ^ a b c d "J.J. Watt Bio". Retrieved 29 November 2014. Cite error: The named reference "jj9" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  9. ^ "J.j. Watt". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  10. ^ http://mmqb.si.com/2013/09/04/jj-watt-unplugged/
  11. ^ http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans/2012/10/the-life-and-times-of-j-j-watt/#7879101=0
  12. ^ http://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/MeetResults.aspx?Meet=30210#3115
  13. ^ "JJ Watt". Rivals.com. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  14. ^ Warber, Kyle. "Fire Up Chips Exclusive: JJ Watt sets the record straight". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  15. ^ "NFL Events: Combine Player Profiles - J.J. Watt". Nfl.com. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  16. ^ "Combine workout leaders: Wonderlic test". Pro Football Weekly. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  17. ^ "NFL Events: Player Profile J.J. Watt". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  18. ^ "NFL Prospect J.J. Watt". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  19. ^ Robinson, Charles. "Texans star J.J. Watt seeks 'same appreciation' that draft mates received with new contracts". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  20. ^ a b "Houston Texans: J.J. Watt". Retrieved 29 November 2014. Cite error: The named reference "jj14" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  21. ^ "Houston Texans J.J. Watt". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  22. ^ "Houston Texans Team History". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  23. ^ Ganguli, Tania. "Watt sacked in quest for record". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  24. ^ a b c d "Houston Texans J.J. Watt". Retrieved 29 November 2014. Cite error: The named reference "jj19" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  25. ^ Wilner, Barry. "J.J. Watt Named 2012 AP NFL Defensive Player Of The Year". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  26. ^ "J.J. Watt named AP Defensive Player of Year". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  27. ^ Ganguli, Tania. "J.J. Watt fifth, Arian Foster eighth on NFL Network's top 100". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  28. ^ Rosenthal, Gregg. "J.J. Watt signs six-year, $100M extension with Texans". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  29. ^ Corry, Joel. "J.J. Watt's New Contract Makes Him The League's Highest Paid Non-Quarterback". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  30. ^ Sidhu, Deepi. "J.J. Watt scores offensive TD at Oakland". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  31. ^ Sidhu, Deepi. "J.J. Watt scores on pick-six". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  32. ^ Smith, Michael David. "J.J. Watt fined for roughing EJ Manuel". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  33. ^ Patra, Kevin. "DeMarco Murray, J.J. Watt lead Players of the Month". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  34. ^ Machir, Troy. "J.J. Watt forces and recovers fumble, scores third TD of season". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  35. ^ a b "Texans defensive star J.J. Watt scores fourth touchdown of the season". Retrieved 29 November 2014. Cite error: The named reference "jj27" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  36. ^ Ganguli, Tania. "J.J. Watt scores 5th TD of season". Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  37. ^ [1]
  38. ^ MVP voters took note of J.J. Watt's historic season
  39. ^ "J.J. Watt Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  40. ^ a b "Houston Texans Career Defense Register". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 2014-12-21.
  41. ^ http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/texans/2012/10/09/watt-brings-energy-to-undefeated-texans/1623497/
  42. ^ John Breech (March 2, 2015). "LOOK: J.J. Watt's cabin in the 'middle of nowhere' is insane". CBS Sports. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  43. ^ Joe Kinsey (March 2, 2015). "Take A Tour Inside J.J. Watt's Wisconsin Cabin". Busted Coverage. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  44. ^ "JJWatt Foundation". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  45. ^ Endress, Alex. "J.J. Watt Charity Classic raises $436,433 towards afterschool athletics; features tomfoolery". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  46. ^ "J.J. Watt wins team award". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  47. ^ McClain, John. "J.J. Watt nominated for NFL's Salute to Service Award". Retrieved 29 November 2014.
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