J.J. Watt to help Texans fan pay for grandfather's funeral

Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt remains loyal to his former Texans fans. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

J.J. Watt to help fan pay for grandfather's funeral so she can keep her Texans gear

By Adam Stites | Last updated 7/21/22

Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt offered to help a fan pay for her grandfather's funeral Wednesday night so she wouldn't have to sell her Houston Texans gear.

A teacher named Jennifer Simpson tweeted Wednesday that she was selling a pair of Watt-branded shoes for $60 and a Watt jersey for $30 to help pay for the funeral. Watt saw the tweet and told Simpson that he'd help with the costs.

Don’t sell your shoes and jersey, we’ll help with the funeral.

I’m sorry for your loss.

https://t.co/gMttmVGZCL
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 21, 2022

In later tweets, Simpson said that the funeral services will be paid off and that she was "blessed with donations throughout the night."

Watt, 33, spent the first 10 seasons of his NFL career with the Texans, earning AP Defensive Player of the Year three times during his tenure. In 2021, he was released by Houston and joined the Cardinals on a two-year, $28 million deal.

The defensive end has been an active philanthropist throughout his career, most notably raising over $37 million to help the city of Houston after Hurricane Harvey caused catastrophic flooding in 2017.

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