Justin James "J. J." Watt is an American football defensive end for the Houston
Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Texans with the
11th pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, and played college football
at Wisconsin. Watt has received numerous awards and
accolades, having won the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award twice
in his first four seasons. Watt is primarily a defensive end, but
occasionally shifts to defensive tackle in certain situations. He has also taken
snaps on offense as a tight end, catching three touchdown passes during
the 2014 season. Also in 2014, Watt became the first player in NFL history
to record two 20+ sack seasons in a career. He also currently holds the
Texans franchise records for both sacks and forced fumbles. Watt has also been
voted by other players in the NFL to the NFL Top 100 list as #1 in the 2014-15
season. Early life and high school career
Watt was born on March 22, 1989, in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, 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 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; the decision was also made with respect to the
financial burden of the equipment and the need to replace it. Watt also played
football throughout his childhood and became passionate about football while
he was in fifth grade. Watt attended Pewaukee High School,
where he was a four-year letterwinner in football and also lettered in
basketball, baseball and track and field. 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.
During his senior year at Pewaukee High, Watt accumulated a total of 399
receiving yards, 26 catches, and 5 touchdowns.
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. 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.
= 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. College career
= 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. At Central Michigan, he played 14 games, compiled a
total of 77 receiving yards and 8 receptions. On October 27, 2007, in a
game against Kent State, Watt had two receptions for 23 yards, a career-high.
= 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. = College statistics =
Professional career = 2011 NFL Draft =
= 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. On April 28, 2011, he was
selected in the first round by the Houston Texans and was the 11th pick
overall. The Texans signed Watt to a four-year, $11.24 million contract on
July 31, 2011. 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 tackles, 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. 2012 season
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. 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. 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. Watt finished the season 2.5 sacks shy of
Michael Strahan’s single-season record for sacks, set in 2001. 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. 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. Watt was the 17th defensive lineman and only the eighth defensive
end to receive the award since 1971. Watt also made the highest debut on NFL
Network’s Top 100 list for 2012, coming in at number five.
2013 season In 2013, Watt recorded 65 solo tackles,
15 assisted tackles, seven passes defensed, 10.5 sacks, four forced
fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. The Texans, however, had a losing season and
finished with a 2-14 record. Watt was named to the 2014 NFL Pro-Bowl and was
the Pro-Bowl Captain. 2014 season
Prior to the start of the 2014 season, the Texans and Watt agreed to a six-year
contract extension, worth $100 million. Watt received $30.9 million at signing
and he will receive $21 million at the start of the 2016 season if he is on the
roster. This contract made him the NFL’s highest paid non-quarterback, based on
average yearly salary. 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. 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. 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. Watt was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for
September. 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.
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. 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.
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. 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.
= Season statistics = Houston Texans franchise records
Most career sacks, surpassing Mario Williams on December 21, 2014.
Most career forced fumbles on December 28, 2014.
Personal life While an undergrad at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, Watt delivered pizzas for a Madison Pizza Hut.
On July 22, 2015, Watt was named the Vice-President of Power Relations for
Reliant. Reliant is a retail electric provider in Texas, also a subsidiary of
NRG Energy Inc. 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. This foundation’s motto, “Dream Big, Work Hard” is sold on wrist
bands and t-shirts. Since this foundation was launched in 2010, Watt
has raised over $1 million. Most of the schools that benefit from the
fundraising are in Texas and Wisconsin but are not limited to these states.
Recently, donations have expanded to Alabama, Illinois, and California.
Watt’s mother, Connie, is the vice president of the organization. Watt and
the J.J. 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. The inaugural Charity
Classic game was in 2013, and the 2014 Charity Classic raised over $436,433
towards his foundation. On August 26, 2014, Watt received the Texans Spirit of
the Bull Community Award. 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. Due to
the extremely good turnout in 2015, the annual Charity Classic has been moved to
Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros. In 2015, over $640,000 dollars
were raised. This is almost double the amount of money raised in the previous
year. J.J. Watt is also known for his
interactions with children. On July 2, 2011, The Berry Family was traveling
home from a vacation in Colorado Springs. The parents, Joshua and Robin
Berry were killed in a head-on collision while also leaving their two sons, Peter
and Aaron handicapped. Their daughter, Willa, suffered minor injuries. In 2012,
following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown,
Conneticut, Watt found out some of the families that were affected were in the
Houston area. He invited them out on the field to hang out and throw the
football. He then proceeded to give them signed merchandise that he had worn in
previous games. In October 2015, he dressed up as Batman to surprise kids at
the Texas Children's Hospital for a Halloween party.
References External links
J. J. Watt on Twitter Career statistics and player information
from NFL.com • ESPN • Pro-Football-Reference •
Sports-Reference Wisconsin Badgers bio
Houston Texans profile