What to know about J.J. Watt, whose incredible NFL career is ending after 2022
JR Radcliffe
Wisconsin native J.J. Watt announced on Twitter that the 2022 season would be his last in the NFL, meaning the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year is now on the clock for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Here's what to know about the legendary defensive end, who played 12 seasons in the NFL.
Where is J.J. Watt from?
Watt played high-school football at Pewaukee High School, where he was the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel high-school male athlete of the year in 2007. He also played basketball, summer baseball and won a state title in the shot put. He later accepted a scholarship to play football at Central Michigan University as a tight end, then famously transferred to the University of Wisconsin as a walk-on, delivering pizzas to offset the cost of college. At Wisconsin, he became a standout defensive end.
Pewaukee is the same school where Chris McIntosh, now athletics director at the University of Wisconsin, became a standout offensive lineman before a career at UW and a first-round draft selection in 2001 by the Seattle Seahawks. Watt's brothers, Derek and T.J., also starred at Pewaukee.
Who is J.J. Watt's wife and child?
Watt married professional soccer player Kealia Ohai in a Bahamas wedding in early 2020, less than a year after announcing their engagement.
Kealia Ohai Watt has played for the Chicago RedStars of the National Women's Soccer League since the 2020 season after spending six years with the Houston Dash. The couple met in Houston and began dating in late 2016 and early 2017.
The couple welcomed their first child, Koa James, on Oct. 23, 2022.
Who are J.J. Watt's brothers and parents?
J.J. is the older brother to Derek and T.J., both of whom play for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2022 season. Derek plays fullback and T.J. plays linebacker, where he's become one of the best players in the NFL and won the Defensive Player of the Year award for the 2021 season.
They are the children of John and Connie Watt. John was himself a standout athlete at Pewaukee High School (he held throwing records for the track team until his sons topped those records). Connie became vice president and primary steward of the Justin J. Watt Foundation, which became a central figure in raising millions of dollars for Houstonians during Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
How old is J.J. Watt?
Watt is 33 years old and will turn 34 on March 22, 2023.
What is J.J. Watt's contract with the Arizona Cardinals and how much is Watt worth?
Using numbers from Spotrac, Watt singed a two-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals before the 2021 season worth $28 million, including a $12 million signing bonus.
He had previously singed a six-year deal with the Houston Texans worth just more than $100 million. Spotrac places his total career earnings over 12 seasons at $129,448,000.
When was J.J. Watt drafted?
J.J. Watt was drafted with the 11th pick of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans, a franchise with which Watt spent 10 seasons. He was only the second Wisconsinite selected that highly since 1984, joining Brookifeld Central's Joe Thomas (third pick in 2007 by the Cleveland Browns). Monona Grove native Gabe Carimi was also drafted in the first round that year, selected by the Chicago Bears with the 29th pick.
How tall is J.J. Watt?
Watt stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 288 pounds according to the Arizona Cardinals roster in 2022.
What are J.J. Watt's biggest career accomplishments?
- Watt has won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award three times (2012, 2014, 2015), tied for the most in history (matching Lawrence Taylor and Aaron Donald)
- Watt won the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his humanitarian work, raising $37 million in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. He was also named Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year.
- He's been named first-team All-Pro five times.
- He's twice led the league in sacks and has 111½ sacks in his career, with two games to play in his final season. He became the first player with multiple seasons of 20 or more sacks.
- He returned an interception for a touchdown in his first playoff game in 2011 while playing for the Texans against the Bengals. He has since turned three other turnovers into touchdowns during the regular season and caught three touchdown passes.
- He has hosted Saturday Night Live
- He was a unanimous selection to the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 2010s, released by the Pro Football Hall of Fame and often a precursor to induction into the Hall of Fame itself.
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When will J.J. Watt be eligible for the Hall of Fame?
Watt will be eligible for the 2028 Hall of Fame class, a group of players that will be chosen in 2027.
Where does J.J. Watt live in the offseason?
Watt has a home in Waukesha County during the offseason and has said in the past that he expects to return to Wisconsin when his playing days are over, and he'd love to coach high-school football someday.
“I do envision it back in Wisconsin,” he said in 2016. “I love the four seasons, I love the people of Wisconsin, I love the atmosphere, the vibe. Having grown up there, it holds an extremely special place in my heart. I think there’s something to be said for having to go through the tough winter and having to wake up early to go to morning workouts in the snow and having to shovel the driveway. I like that. I can’t promise that’s exactly what’s going to happen because my career could go 100 different ways when I’m done playing. But in my ideal world, the way I see it happening, I see myself coming back to Wisconsin and settling in there.”
What injuries has J.J. Watt faced?
Through his first five seasons, he didn't miss a game, but he played in only three games in 2016 because of a herniated disk in his back. He returned in 2017 but broke his leg in the fifth game and missed the rest of the year. Watt played in all 16 games in 2018 and was second in the NFL in sacks (16). He was back on injured reserve in 2019 after suffering a torn pectoral injury early in the season and was thought to be lost for the year, but after months of rehab he returned for two playoff games.
In 2020, Watt played in all 16 games, but he played only seven regular-season games after a shoulder injury in 2021 in his first year with the Cardinals. He did, however, return for the team's playoff game.
JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.