The Houston Texans celebrated the much-anticipated induction of defensive legend J.J. Watt to the Ring of Honor on Sunday and capped the day off with a 30-6 win against the Steelers. Watt, a former first-round draft pick, couldn’t help but get emotional as he recounted all he’d been through with the Texans and the city of Houston throughout his decade-long career with the team.
“It feels like you’re at a family reunion and it feels like I’m back with all my family in a place that feels like home and I’m just loving it,” Watt said during his speech. “The fans have been great, the McNairs have been great, the whole organization has been really, really great and I’m just thankful to have my whole family here.
“My wife and my son are here, my parents are here, my brothers are here. It’s my mom’s birthday so it all kind of culminates into a great day today.”
During the halftime ceremony, Watt received his red jacket from Texans Chairman and CEO Cal McNair. The team also provided the former defensive end’s young son, Koa, with his very own mini red jacket.
On the field, close to 90 former Texans players joined Watt for his induction, along with his parents, his wife and son, and his brother Derek Watt and his family.
Watt retired from the game after his 12th NFL season. He started out with the Houston Texans, playing from 2011-20, before heading to Arizona ahead of the 2021 season. Watt set the franchise record for sacks and his 101 sacks were the second-most in the NFL during that span. He joined former Texans receiving legend Andre Johnson and Robert McNair in the Ring of Honor.
A three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, he appeared in five Pro Bowls, earned five All-Pro selections and won the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year award, among his many accolades.
Watt joining Texans’ Ring of Honor
One of the biggest things Watt did for Houston wasn’t on the football field. After Hurricane Harvey struck the city, Watt’s Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund raised over $41.6 million for rebuilding efforts.
The Texans drafted Watt with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft after an impressive career at Wisconsin following a transfer from Central Michigan. He was a first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten selection that year as the Badgers shared the Big Ten title and clinched a Rose Bowl appearance.
During his NFL career, Watt totaled 586 tackles, 114.5 sacks, two interceptions and three touchdowns. Although injuries became a problem the last couple of years, he finished his career on a bounce-back year, with 39 tackles and 12.5 sacks.
In 2022, he had a cardiac event that required medical attention but he returned to the field right away. He went into atrial fibrillation and had his heart shocked back into rhythm two days before playing a game.
Watt could have continued playing, but he told Chris Long on his podcast that it was becoming increasingly difficult to prepare his body and mind to play each season as he aged.
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