T.J. Watt is one of three Watt brothers in the NFL. J.J. Watt is the oldest of the three and has had the best career so far. Derek Watt is a fullback for the Los Angeles Chargers. T.J. joined the party when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Over his first two seasons, Watt looks like he will follow in the footsteps of his oldest brother.
Watt had 13 sacks in 2018 for the Steelers. He has shown that he is a force when rushing the quarterback. In coverage, Watt has been promising as well.
Older brother J.J. even came out and said that T.J. is better than he was at that point in his career. That is high praise from one of the best defensive players of this generation.
Watt will be entering his third season in 2019. What kind of road to the NFL did Watt have?
Here are four things to know about the new face of the Steelers' defense.
4. Watt was Recruited as a Tight End
Watt attended Pewaukee High School in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. During his time in high school, Watt turned in an amazing career. He was an All-Conference player at quarterback, linebacker, and punter.
Following in his brothers' footsteps, Watt stayed home to attend the University of Wisconsin. Initially, Watt was recruited as a tight end by the Badgers.
After an injury caused him to redshirt, he switched positions to outside linebacker. This switch seemed to work as he was selected as a First Team All-American after the 2016 season.
Watching Watt terrorize quarterbacks in the NFL makes one think if he would be doing the same to linebackers trying to cover him.
3. Texans' Team Doctor Operated on Both Knees
At Wisconsin, Watt had a long injury history.
He dislocated both knees in a three-month span in 2014. He opted to go the rehab route rather than surgery. In August of 2014, Watt tore his right knee once again just two days into Wisconsin's preseason camp.
This time, Watt got surgery. The surgery was done by Texans' team doctor Walt Lowe. The surgery was a success and Watt was able to make a full recovery.
This injury occurred right in the middle of J.J. winning back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards.
To say he had some pull within the organization is an understatement.
2. Watt is Dating Dani Rhodes
Watt is dating Wisconsin soccer player Dani Rhodes, who is another legendary Wisconsin Badger.
In 2016, Rhodes was selected to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team. As a sophomore, Rhodes led Wisconsin in points, goals, assists, and shots on goal. She was an All-Big Ten Second Team selection. Her junior year saw her lead the Badgers in points once again. She set a program record with four goals against Hofstra in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Aside from being a soccer star, Rhodes was a tremendous basketball player as well. She attended Waukesha West High School where she is the program's all-time leading scorer. She also holds the record for most points in a game with 36.
For Watt, competition is nothing new so it is only right that he is dating an athlete.
1. J.J. Once Said T.J. is Better at That Moment
Many know J.J. as the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He is a freak athlete with tremendous speed and agility.
Off the field, Watt has done a lot of good for the city of Houston and the entire country as a whole. If T.J. could be half the player that his oldest brother is, the Steelers would be an extremely happy franchise.
According to J.J., his brother is ahead of the game.
“He’s a better player than I was at the same point in our careers,” J.J. told The Ringer during a 2017 interview. “The guy’s only played the position for 18 months or whatever it is. And for him to have the innate abilities that he has, a nose for the ball and the way that he can rush the passer with no true experience or a ton of time being coached at it … he just picked it up.”
This is not to say that T.J. will end up having a better career with the Steelers, but if he can continue to progress, there is no reason to think that he won't turn into one of the best pass rushers in the game.
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