J.J. Watt grew up in a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, not really exposed to a lot of different cultures and experiences.
So when he arrived in Houston at age 22, it had to be a bit of a culture shock, but in a good way. The diversity in people, cultures and food in Houston exposed Watt to more than he ever would have seen in Pewaukee, Wisconsin.
“That's played a huge part in my development as a person and human,” Watt said during a Zoom call on Tuesday. “Obviously meeting my wife and changing my life forever in that way was a massive part of my experience down there, as well. But, the fans, the teammates, the coaches, my life doesn't look anywhere near the same if I don't get drafted out of Houston and I don’t experience the experiences I experienced over those 10 years.
“I think hands down, the melting pot that is Houston has made such a significant impact on me.”
It’s that special connection to Houston that is bringing Watt, who won three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards with the Texans, back to the organization that drafted him in 2011. The team will honor Watt by making him just the second player to be inducted into the franchise’s Ring of Honor on Oct. 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Watt recently announced his retirement after 12 NFL seasons, 10 of them with the Texans and the last two with the Arizona Cardinals. He requested his own release from the Texans after Nick Caserio took over as general manager following a 4-12 season in 2020, and it became clear Houston was headed for a hard reset.
Since then, Watt’s become a father, with different priorities and new perspective on life.
He no longer wanted to put in the work required to perform at a high level. Now, he prefers the work of improving his golf game, the tiring but gratifying job of being a father to a small child, eating whatever he wants at a restaurant without consideration to his diet, and working out only when he feels like doing so.
Over the past decade, Watt’s dealt with an elbow dislocation, which led to his trademark elbow brace after 2012; twice a herniated disc in his back; a broken hand; abdomen tear; dislocated fingers; a torn pectoral muscle and more injuries.
He felt good in 2022, his final season, recording 12.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss, his most since 2018. But then there was also a scary moment last season when his heart needed its rhythm to be reset after going into atrial fibrillation, and he played several days later.
“My injuries are no secret obviously,” Watt said. “The heart thing, really, it weighed a little bit into it for sure. I think it was much scarier in the moment than it is now. The injuries overall is certainly something. I finished my last season fully healthy with 12 and a half sacks, and I think however many TFLs. I was proud of that. The reality is I've been hurt a few times in the last few years, and I did not want my last memory on the NFL field to be going off with an injury.
“Can I still do it? Absolutely. I just did it with 12 and a half sacks. But how hard do you have to work, how much preparation goes into being great in the NFL? I don't know if people fully understand or appreciate it, especially as you get older. So can I still do it? Absolutely. But I just have to warm up for way longer, take care of my body way more, and I have to invest that much more time and energy into it. Quite frankly, I didn't feel like doing that anymore.”
At his best, Watt was unlike any player of his generation. Too big, too quick, too much energy and want-to for a single blocker. The man was an automatic double team for a stretch of his career.
DeMeco Ryans, who played with Watt during his rookie season and is now coaching the Texans, said Watt is the model for what he wants players to be.
“What I tell our guys is what I remember about J.J. Watt and playing with him was just his work ethic was just unmatched on the field, right?” Ryans said Tuesday. “Every practice, he brought it every practice. There wasn't a day off. He didn't take days off. He didn't relax. J.J., it was always important to him to be the best at what he did, right? It shows. With the honor that he's receiving here, he's just a phenomenal guy. Just what he's done in the community here in Houston, the impact he's had on our community, that's what speaks to me most about J.J. With the Hurricane Harvey relief and many other things that he’s done to impact the people of Houston, he'll never be forgotten here. He'll always be a special, special player, a special man for the city of Houston. I just want our guys to emulate J.J. All-encompassing, the player, the man, how he is in the community, now as a father.
“With J.J., it was a special moment for me being able to see him in his last game, right? The 49ers against Cardinals, his last game. Just to show the type of player that J.J. is and the man that he is, right? They stopped the game for J.J. to walk off and be celebrated by the entire stadium, Levi’s Stadium. He walked off to a standing ovation in an away game stadium. Shows the impact he has not only here as a Texan or Cardinal, but his impact around the NFL community. It will be unmatched.”
Brandon Scott is the editor for SportsRadio610.com. Follow him on Twitter @brandonkscott. Reach him directly via email: brandon.scott@audacy.com.
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