J.J. Watt earning Texans’ respect through work ethic

J.J. Watt is poised to make more noise as an NFL rookie than any other Wisconsin player since perhaps Joe Thomas. The first Big Ten player selected in the 2011 NFL Draft, Watt was picked by a Houston team that seriously struggled to disrupt opposing passers, ranking last in opponent passing WPA and overall defensive expected points added, according to Advanced NFL Stats. Heralded for his relentless motor and versatility, Watt should quickly bolster the Texans’ defensive line as they transition from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defensive scheme, and his pass-rushing ability will give Houston added flexibility to utilize Mario Williams as a dedicated pass-rusher all over the formation.

As a top-15 pick, the expectation was there that Watt would come in and contribute from day one, but Watt certainly isn’t one to take those expectations for granted. As a player who embodies everything that is Wisconsin football–work ethic, humility, dedication–Watt has been put through the traditional rookie paces, everything from carrying pads to enduring pranks, but he’s happy to take everything in stride.

After Wednesday’s practice, Texans TV’s Drew Dougherty caught up with J.J. for an interview. With three sets of pads and helmets in tow, Watt explained his approach to these early-season practices in decidedly Badger-esque fashion:

"I’m not trying to talk too much, I’m just trying to keep myself quiet and play football…The job for me is that, come February, I want them to look back and say ‘we made a heck of a choice'”."

Watt’s locker shares a wall with Mario Williams’, and he sounds excited to share the field with him as well:

"What’s really cool is when he lines up right next to me and we both rush the passer. That’s a tough 1-2 punch to handle"

The Texans are hoping that Watt’s presence will take pressure off of Williams and allow him to really wreak havoc in the offensive backfield, but it’s also highly likely that Williams’ presence will offer the same benefit to J.J. himself. There’s never been a question of Watt’s pursuit ability–the dude would chase down a train if there was a football on board–but he’ll need to perfect his technique to get around bigger and more athletic offensive lines in the pros. Luckily, opponents are not going to be game-planning for him the way they did during his senior year in Madison.

As for the specifics of, you know, where he’s going to play:

"So far I’ve been playing, working at the left defensive end spot, so I’ve been flipping back and forth between the 3 and the 5 technique."

Houston’s first preseason game is less than two weeks away, and you can be sure Watt will be doing everything he can between now and then to get prepared. When the time comes, there are sure to be lots of fans, be they Texans or Badgers, excited to see J.J. out on the field again.