J.J. Watt.
Here, we have a player in the conversation for the best Defensive End that ever lived, and if you don’t agree with that, you have to acknowledge that he belongs in the conversation.
With the above paragraph, he enters rarified air with this. He was just as impactful off the gridiron as he was on it.
Have we gushed enough about J.J. Watt? Let’s gush some more.
Watt was an All-American at Wisconsin, and the Houston Texans were blessed to land him with the 11th Overall Pick in the 2011 Draft. Watt was a starting Defensive End in his first year, winning All-Rookie honors, but what he did over the next four seasons was legendary.
From 2012 to 2015, Watt won three Defensive Player of the Year Awards, and in the season, he didn’t win; he was still sixth. Watt was named a First Team All-Pro in all four seasons, he twice led the NFL in Sacks, and three times in Tackles for Loss. Not only was he the best Defensive End in Football, he was also the greatest defensive player of that period. Hell, if you want to say that he was also the best player outright in those four seasons, we would probably agree with you!
It was beautiful to watch. What couldn’t he do? He mastered the bullrush, destroying any offensive lineman who had the misfortune of blocking him, and was an expert pass rusher, but he was also an exemplary run blocker. He was fast, he could juke, and he could overpower you. Watt was a defensive God!
It could not last forever, and through 2016 and 2017, Watt dealt with back and leg issues that held him to only eight Games over those campaigns. He was healthy in 2018, and returned to the Pro Bowl, landed his fifth First Team All-Pro, and led the NFL for the first time in Forced Fumbles (7). Watt was hurt again in 2019 and played only 8 Games, and though he played in all 16 Games in 2019, he had to use his veteran knowledge to remain effective. He left Houston for Arizona for two final seasons, and while he was not the same, he was still a living legend.
Any story on Watt could not be complete without acknowledging his philanthropic efforts and the money he raised and personally donated to various causes, including Hurricane Harvey victims. He won the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year, and it could be argued that he should have won more than one.
Watt retired with 114.5 Sacks, 195 Tackles for Loss and 317 Quarterback Hits. If he is not a unanimous First Ballot Hall of Famer, the system is broken. Thankfully, we won’t have to worry.