J.J. Watt

J.J. Watt

Watt with the Houston Texans in 2012
No. 99 Houston Texans
Position:	Defensive end
Personal information
Date of birth:	(1989-03-22) March 22, 1989 (age 27)
Place of birth:	Waukesha, Wisconsin
Height:	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:	289 lb (131 kg)
Career information
High school:	Pewaukee (WI)
College:	Wisconsin
NFL Draft:	2011 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11
Career history
Houston Texans (2011–present)
Roster status:	Injured reserve
Career highlights and awards
4× Pro Bowl (2012–2015) 4× First-team All-Pro (2012–2015) 3× NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2012, 2014, 2015) Bert Bell Award (2014) 2× NFL sacks leader (2012, 2015) Lott Trophy (2010) First-team All-American (2010) First-team All-Big Ten (2010)
Career NFL statistics as of 2016
Tackles: 379 Quarterback sacks: 76.0 Passes defended: 45 Forced fumbles: 15 Interceptions: 1 Touchdowns: 5 Player stats at NFL.com

Justin James "J.J." Watt (born March 22, 1989) is an American football defensive end for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Texans with the 11th pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, and played college football at Wisconsin.

Watt received the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award three times in his first five seasons. Although primarily a defensive end, he occasionally shifts to defensive tackle in some situations. He has also taken snaps on offense, catching three touchdown passes during the 2014 season. In 2014, Watt became the first player in NFL history to record two 20+ sack seasons in a career. He holds the Texans' franchise records for both sacks and forced fumbles.

Watt was born on March 22, 1989, in Waukesha, Wisconsin, to parents Connie, a building operations vice-president, and John Watt, a firefighter. The Watt family has Scottish ancestry. One of Watt's brothers, Derek Watt, is an NFL fullback for the San Diego Chargers. His younger brother, TJ Watt, is a student and football player at the University of Wisconsin. Watt played hockey from age four to age 13 and played for travel teams that traveled to Canada and Germany. He gave up hockey when weekly games started to conflict with his schedule and for financial reasons. Watt also played football throughout his childhood and became passionate about football while he was in fifth grade.

Watt attended Pewaukee High School, where he was a four-year letter-winner in football and also lettered in basketball, baseball, and track and field. During his senior year, he was selected for first-team All-State. He earned the Woodland Conference Player of the Year Award his senior year, and first-team All-State, All-County, All-Area, and All-Conference selections as tight end and defensive end. He was also named the team's MVP. During his senior year, Watt accumulated a total of 399 receiving yards, 26 catches, and 5 touchdowns.