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Badgers in the NFL: J.J. Watt No. 1 in NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2015

ByJim Oxley|

The NFL Network countdown of the Top 100 NFL Players of 2015 has concluded, and taking home the top spot is former Wisconsin Badgers and current Houston Texans star defensive end J.J. Watt, who outlasted the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and DeMarco Murray to earn the no. 1 spot on the list.

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This marks the third straight top-15 vote for Watt, who was No. 5 on the list in 2013 and No. 12 on the list in 2014.

Watt, simply put, is a freak athlete.

How many other players can do everything he does? He excels at getting in the backfield, sacking the quarterback, causing turnovers and, in general, wreaking havoc along the defensive line. Then he lines up at tight end and catches touchdown passes.

He’s just good TV.

In three short NFL seasons Watt has made history again and again.

He’s a three time First team All-Pro (and in 2014 was named All-Pro twice, once as a defensive end and once as a defensive tackle). He’s a three-time Pro Bowler, a two-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a two-time AFC Defensive Player of the year, the NFL sack leader in 2012, and the 2014 MVP runner-up to Aaron Rodgers.

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He’s the first defensive player in NFL history to have multiple 20+ sack seasons, and is already the Texans’ franchise leader in career sacks (57) and forced fumbles (12).

Watt is clearly one of the most dominant forces across all professional sports platforms, and, at age 26, is only at the beginning of his NFL career.

Watt leads a group of four former Wisconsin Badgers players to make the Top 100, along with No. 66 DeAndre Levy, No. 25 Joe Thomas and No. 22 Russell Wilson.

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