JJ Watt

Background

Born on March 22, 1989, in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, to parents Connie and John Watt, Justin James Watt had his destiny already spelled out for him. He has two younger siblings, namely, Derek and T.J. Watt, who both seem to have followed in their brother’s footsteps, becoming professional footballers. Watt’s love and passion for sports began at an early age, but unfortunately, he was forced to give up hockey at the age of 13 due to the family’s lack of finances to afford all the hockey equipment he needed. He then played football when he got to high school and invested some time in playing basketball, baseball, and track and field as well. Setting a new school record in 2007, he won the state-level title for his shot put.

After signing the $11.24 million contract with the Texans, Watt’s career in football skyrocketed, winning countless awards that came with injuries. Playing against the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011, he had his first multi-sack game to victory and won three awards in his rookie year. Two years later, he received a $30.9 million bonus after signing an extended $100 million contract with the Texans, making him the highest-paid N.F.L. non-quarterback player at that time.  In 2016, he suffered a herniated disc in his back but recovered from it. Later in 2018, he had a tibial plateau fracture in his left leg and had to sit out the remaining season.

Since 2020 it’s been good news after good news for Watt, and signing a contract in 2021 worth $28 million with a guaranteed $23 million with the Arizona Cardinals was but the least of it. In the previous year, 2020, Watt and professional soccer player Kealia Ohai tied the knot in the Bahamas.