Top 10 Facts About J.J. Watt

  1. JJ Watt Can Do A Vertical Jump Of More Than 5 Feet

J.J. Watt loves box jumping too!
J.J. Watt loves box jumping too!

If you thought JJ Watt’s vertical jump of 37 inches in the 2011 NFL Combine was impressive (see above) you would be right.  If you thought that was the best he could do you would be wrong.

In 2015 JJ Watt was filmed performing a 61 inch vertical box jump from standing still.  This amazing feat was to celebrate his endorsement contract with Reebok.  Watt was signed with Reebok as part of their ‘Be More Human’ campaign which was designed to show

‘normal’ people that sports was for them every bit as much as big stars.  Reebok have no rights to put their logo on the field during NFL games but nevertheless thought that Watt would be an ideal fit for the company and would lend their product instant credibility.  Reebok say that Watts is the epitome of what their campaign is trying to achieve.  He failed at his first 5foot 1 box jump attempt but kept trying until he made it.

  1. JJ Watt Dreams About A Quiet Life

J.J. Watt dreams of the day when he can be a great dad.
J.J. Watt dreams of the day when he can be a great dad.

JJ Watt is hot stuff at the moment.  Something as simple as going bowling with some friends can cause him to be mobbed by fans wanting to get pictures of him (his last visit to a bowling alley required three sheriffs just to hold the fans back).  While he is enjoying playing the game he says that he was completely unprepared for the ‘craziness’ that came with it.  He finds it very difficult to find girlfriends at the present time because, he says, he is always worried about what their motive is – whether they are interested in JJ Watt the person or the player.  He says he wants a wife and children in due course but is not able to devote sufficient time to family life for the time being.  He wants, he claims, to be the ‘best husband and the best fatherhe can be and therefore he is waiting until he can devote enough time to his family.

His long term dream is to live a quiet life, coaching high school football, enjoying a movie at home and a bonfire at the weekend and throwing a ball for his dog – quite low key dreams for such a famous man.  Are these dreams that will survive his sports career?  Perhaps, but then again perhaps not.  He has been approached by Hollywood studios about the potential for an acting career in action movies.  He says he is tempted but that it is not something for now; perhaps his dreams of solitude will have to take a back burner to a second career.

So there is our list of the top 10 things you should know about JJ Watt.  A young man who seems to have excelled in everything he has done from Hockey and Shot Put in high school to his extraordinary professional football career.  When Watt decides to do something he gives it his all, dedicating himself full time to being the very best he can be.  In pursuit of this he gave up a fully funded scholarship for an uncertain career as a walk on at his home university (leading to financial stress for his parents for a time).  The gamble paid off, however as he went from being only a two star prospect out of high school to being the 11th overall pick (and the first for the Texans) in the 2011 draft.  He is so talented that the Texan coaches identified him as a prospect for the hall of fame almost immediately after he started his career with them.

Despite all his recent fame JJ Watts appears to be a fully grounded individual.  He still spends time close to his home town (albeit in a $800,000 luxury home) and continues to fundraise for his foundation.  While most (if not all) sports stars engage in charitable works of some sort, JJ Watt’s interest in his foundation appears very deep and very genuine.  He started it as a grass roots concern while he was in college and as a direct result of his fame and high profile, it has grown exponentially.

What other key developments lie in wait for JJ Watt’s impressive career?  Will he be voted MVP?  If any defensive player of his generation deserves that accolade then surely it is Watts!  We will watch his career with interest and hope that you do too.