TJ Watt is one of the most dominant players in the NFL. That much isn't in question. For him to potentially be living a life away from football would be an unfathomable reality for Pittsburgh Steelers fans.

But that was nearly the case as the Steelers star recently opened up about his struggles in a sit down with Go Long‘s Tyler Dunne. TJ Watt bared the harsh reality that he faced and how things were slowly shaping up to be too much to overcome at one point in his life.

“It’s an incredible life,” Watt told Dunne of living and breathing football. “But it can be taken away quickly if you take it for granted.”

It's no secret that the Steelers star had some serious knee issues back in college. He suffered serious knee dislocation four times and the idea of quitting football was very much on the table. Watt was “ready to go cold turkey” on the game that he grew up playing and watching as his older brother JJ dominated the pros. Instead, he pondered following in his father's footsteps in becoming a firefighter.

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“There were moments I said, ‘I don’t know if I even want to do this anymore. Let’s see what other career paths there are,’” Watt says. “It’s ‘This is just going to keep happening, so what’s the point?’”

As great as he would have been as a fireman – both in practice and as a model for their famous calendars – Steelers fans appreciate him everyday for persevering enough to commit to an NFL future – and become one of the best players not just at his position, but the sport as a whole.