Dec 8, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) takes the field against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Steelers’ T.J. Watt Shares Life-Threatening Delivery Room Story

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 4:00 PM ET

PITTSBURGH — This summer was one of the biggest in the career and life of Pittsburgh Steelers superstar T.J. Watt. Not only did he sign a new contract, the most expensive one in the organization’s history, he and his wife Dani also welcomed their first child into the world.

The Steelers superstar’s family has had an incredible summer, but the actual birth of their daughter, Blakely, was a complicated and stressful event. T.J. and Dani recently were interviewed for an episode of I n Depth with Graham Bensinger, and they shared the harrowing and miraculous day that their daughter was born.

It started when the baby's heart rate began to plummet during delivery. Because of this, the medical team audibled. Despite Dani wanting to deliver naturally, her doctors informed her that they needed to perform a caesarian section due to the declining heart rate.

The star edge rusher detailed what came next for the Watts. He asked for a minute to speak with this wife, and he told her the following.

“Whatever your decision is here, I am completely with you,” he told his wife. ”But at the end of the day, we need to do what's best for our baby.”

And what was best for the baby was to deliver her via C-section. It wasn’t what Dani wanted as far as birthing plans go, but they had little time to decide. It was at that point that he began to worry that the unthinkable might happen.

“Absolutely,” he admitted. ”We never truly had the conversation like, ‘If I had to choose you’ or ‘if I had to choose myself or the baby,’ for her. And thankfully she was able to have a successful surgery and I was able to be there with her behind the curtain… And that was a success. And to be able to see this human being that is half of me, half of her, is incredible."

A few months later, Blakely and Dani are both happy and healthy. The Watt’s are a beautiful family just beginning their journey together. And while it started with a stressful few hours, TJ wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

“I wouldn't have wanted it to go any other way, as selfish as it sounds, because I didn't go through the pain,” he said. “But… that's brought us the best thing that's ever happened to us in Blakely. And it's brought us so much closer together – to see (Dani) go through that pain and suffering to sacrifice so much for us and our family is the most selfless thing that you could possibly do.”

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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