J.J. Watt made the ultimate US to UK sports crossover.
But while the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year is now primarily focused on Burnley‘s attempt to return to the Premier League, the 36-year-old still receives a ton of American football questions.
J.J. Watt is focused on Burnley now but is still a big NFL name around the worldGettyOne of those centered around a dream scenario that Watt never was able to realize on the field.
Watt appeared on the Stick To Football podcast with Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott and Ian Wright.
While Watt was clearly impressed with the round table of big names that surrounded him, others wanted to know all about Watt’s NFL life, which once included a 7500 calorie diet.
“I loved being in Houston. The people were unbelievable to me, it was great,” said Watt, who spent 2011-20 with the Texans and became one of the most popular and dominant players in the NFL.
As the team that drafted him entered a rebuild, Watt moved to the Arizona Cardinals for his final two pro seasons.
But there was always a familiar small-market football team that he watched from afar.
“I grew up in Wisconsin and I grew up in Green Bay,” Watt said. “The Packers, they have a little bit of a different relationship with with their fans.”
Green Bay, more than any other of the NFL’s 32 teams, has a Premier League-type connection with its super devoted and widespread collection of supporters.
Watt was the center of attention while looking back on his American football days The former Houston Texan was even more impressed by the big names surrounding himThat always made an impact on Watt, who is now a co-owner of Burnley, are second in the Championship, dreaming of a return to the top flight of English football after being relegated last season.
“(The Packers are) a community owned team, it’s a small town, so that’s one that always would have been really cool,” Watt said.
As Watt becomes more invested with Burnley, the NFL is bigger than ever in England and beyond.
“When I started coming over here, 12, 13 years ago, my rookie year, nobody knew anything,” Watt said. “They didn’t know much about the game. I remember when games first started coming over, people only cheered the kicks — they just wanted to see the kicks.
“Now, I can walk down the street in Manchester and people ask for pictures, autographs. That is completely different than it used to be and they’re knowledgeable about it.”
Watt said he used to consume 7,500 calories a day during his primeGetty Texans QB C.J. Stroud is ushering in a new era in HoustonGettyWatt has also watched English football grow bigger and bigger in the United States.
“There’s people thousands of people turning up in Premier League kits,” he said.
While Watt is out of the NFL and helping elevate Burnley’s international profile, the Texans have entered a new era.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans and quarterback C.J. Stroud combined to go 10-7 and win the AFC South two seasons ago.
The Texans also won a home playoff game in a blowout of the Cleveland Browns.
Watt’s former squad was the surprise team of the NFL in 2023 but struggled in Stroud’s sophomore season.
Houston once again went 10-7 and retained their AFC South crown, but lost six out of ten games at one stage and never truly lived up to their pre-season billing as Super Bowl contenders.
They beat the Los Angeles Chargers 32–12 in the Wild Card Round to advance to the Divisional Round for the second consecutive season, where they lost to the AFC’s top seed and two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
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