HOUSTON – The Houston Texans announced today that J.J. Watt will officially be inducted into the Houston Texans Ring of Honor during the team's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Oct. 1. The former three-time Defensive Player of the Year and Walter Payton Man of the Year is the third member to be inducted into the Ring of Honor, joining Robert C. McNair and Andre Johnson.
Statement from Janice, Hannah and Cal McNair: "We are so excited to have J.J. Watt join the Ring of Honor as our third member. Everybody knows how much J.J. means to our family, the Texans organization and the entire City of Houston. He is one of the most dominant players in NFL history and he created a unique and irreplaceable bond with our fans. J.J. has always kept a special place in Houston's heart and we're thrilled to welcome him back. On the behalf of the entire organization, we can't wait to give J.J. and his family the celebration he deserves on October 1st."
Watt was the 11th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and spent 10 seasons with Houston (2011-20). A three-time Defensive Player of the Year (2012, 14-15), five-time Pro Bowl selection (2012-15, 2018) and five-time First-Team All-Pro (2012-15, 2018), he started in all 128 regular season games he played in, as well as seven of eight playoff games from 2011-2019. Additionally, Watt received six AFC Defensive Player of the Month awards and seven AFC Defensive Player of the Week awards with Houston.
During his decade with the Texans, Watt set the franchise record for sacks and his 101.0 sacks were the second-most in the NFL during that span. He also tallied 172 tackles for loss, the most in the NFL since TFLs became an official stat. Additionally, Watt set franchise records for quarterback hits (281), multi-sack games (26), forced fumbles (25) and fumble recoveries (16). He led the NFL in sacks (20.5) in both 2012 and 2015.
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year solidified his connection to the City of Houston by serving as an unwavering fixture of hope. Watt raised more than $41 million to support those impacted.
Watt attended the University of Wisconsin from 2009-10 and started all 26 games he played in for the Badgers at strongside defensive end, recording 106 total tackles (74 solo), 11.5 sacks and 36.5 tackles for loss. As a junior, Watt started the Justin J. Watt Foundation in 2010 out of a desire to help underserved kids. His personal motto of "Dream Big, Work Hard" culminated into a mission that he has used to impact communities all over the country.
