Despite the National Football League’s 25,000-plus participants, 103 years of excellence and 32 established organizations, the Pro Football Hall of Fame houses just 363 guests.
Now, imagine strolling through this oddly sizable dwelling. You may notice Lawrence Taylor polishing his ‘86 MVP trophy and Jerry Rice donning a “Flash 80” nameplate and a pair of high-end specs. You could catch Deion Sanders and Shannon Sharpe jotting down a few of their favorite phrases or Joe Montana deciding which of his five championship rings to wear that day. Heck, you might witness Jim Brown and Eric Dickerson squabbling over who would clock in a faster 40-yard dash in their heydays.
In a house with so many characters, egos and mantras, 2121 George Halas Drive in Canton, Ohio, still remains the most selective of any professional hall of fame in American sports history. Each year, a 49-person selection committee enshrines a handful of the most distinguished athletes to ever set foot on the gridiron. With such intense competition, these decisions can certainly become laborious.
In 2028, though, one gold jacket and bust remains reserved for No. 99.
Jan. 8, 2023, Badger legend J.J. Watt suited up for the final snaps of his career against the San Francisco 49ers. Cardinals’ defensive coordinator Vance Joseph elected to pull the former scout team player with five All-Pro selections, three Defensive Player of the Year nods and the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award under his belt at the two-minute warning.
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A Pewaukee, Wisconsin, native standing at 6 feet, 5 inches and 288 pounds, Watt exited to a standing ovation from Levi Stadium and blew a kiss to his wife, Kealia, who waved from a suite overlooking the turf. In a career and position characterized by grit, toughness and intimidation, J.J.’s final goodbye encapsulated both his personality and public perception as one of the most respected competitors in NFL history.
Born Justin James Watt on March 22, 1989, J.J. gravitated toward the pigskin early in his youth. As a 7-year-old, Watt set his sights on Camp Randall and strived to become as dominant as Packers legend and defensive end Reggie White.
With support from his parents and two younger brothers, Derek and T.J., Watt excelled in basketball, baseball, track and field and football at Pewaukee High School. Recruited as a tight end, J.J. played one collegiate season at Central Michigan before transferring to Wisconsin.
“When he decided to transfer to UW-Madison, we were 100 percent supportive,” J.J.’s mother, Connie Watt, said in a 2014 interview. “I know how hard he worked for it and how hard he trained for it. People doubted him and said transferring was not a good idea — that he was not good enough. So after everything he put into it — blood, sweat and tears — it was very surreal to see him run out of that tunnel in uniform.”
In two full seasons donning the red and white, Watt simply bullied offensive linemen as a defensive end. In 2010, he led the team in sacks, quarterback pressures, forced fumbles and blocked kicks. As a consensus first-team All-Big Ten member, the homegrown kid earned the Lott IMPACT Trophy, awarded annually to the college football defensive IMPACT player of the year. He left Madison third in all-time career blocked kicks, something he implemented when defending pass plays at the professional level, to declare for the 2011 NFL Draft.
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It’s safe to say Watt adjusted seamlessly to this transition. On April 28, 2011, Houston Texans’ general manager Rick Smith plucked the Wisconsite off the draft board with the 11th overall pick. In his debut against the Colts, he recorded five tackles and snagged a fumble recovery, his first of 151 gems over a 12-year span.
During a four-year stretch comparable to the likes of Chiefs’ luminary Derrick Thomas, the aforementioned Lawrence Taylor and irreplaceable Bruce Smith, Watt racked up three Defensive Player of the Year Awards, four consecutive first-team All-Pro selections and four Pro Bowl appearances. In 2014, fresh off a 20.5-sack season, he finished second in MVP voting to Aaron Rodgers with 26% of the voting share, becoming the first defender to garner such attention since Taylor in 1986 and Vikings icon Alan Page in 1971.
In 2016 and 2017, Watt suffered a pair of season-ending injuries to a herniated disk in his back and a tibial plateau fracture in his left leg. Even on the sidelines, the NFL world applauded his efforts in generating financial support for Hurricane Harvey. J.J. initially aimed to raise $200,000 for those impacted in Southeast Texas, but to the community’s pleasant surprise, his fund inspired roughly $37 million in donations. Watt received both the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award and Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year as praise for his aid.
“None of this would have been possible without your generosity,” Watt wrote in a 2019 Twitter update. “Thank you for continuing to shine a light on the beauty of the human spirit. #HoustonStrong.”
The Badger great would enjoy five more seasons in the NFL, including his final two campaigns as a member of the Arizona Cardinals. Dec. 27, 2022, Watt officially announced his retirement via Twitter.
“It’s all gratitude and love,” said Watt in his final postgame press conference. “I’m so thankful for every single teammate, coach [and] fan I’ve ever had. I wouldn’t have a job without any of those people… it’s just a whole bunch of thank you’s because I’m just a man who’s full of love and gratitude.”
Now, with the arrival of his newborn son, Koa, Watt will flip the page and launch into a new chapter in a book overflowing with resilience, joy and appreciation for his craft and the people around him. Who knows what role he will fill in the Pro Football Hall of Fame house. One thing remains certain, though — Badger faithful and football fanatics throughout the country will surely miss the aura J.J. Watt provided on and off the field.
