For ten years in Houston, J.J. Watt was a larger-than-life figure. The mark he made on H-Town and the fans was about more than football.
It didn't look right seeing him in another uniform. But it was temporary. Houston and J.J. belong together. And now, he's coming home.
It's a myth that Watt got roundly booed on draft night, 2011. It was just a smattering. I was right there, and the fans didn't understand what and who they were getting.
Wade Phillips had just arrived as defensive coordinator, the Texans were switching to a 3-4 and would surely require a pass-rushing outside linebacker. They needed someone to get to the quarterback.
Little did the fans at the draft party know that they were witnessing the selection of one of the greatest defensive players and pass rushers ever.
It was the lockout year of 2011. We'd have to wait until training camp to see him in uniform. When we did, he was impossible not to notice.
That camp, he blocked countless passes and set up shop in the offensive backfield. And as Cal McNair told me at the time, "Nobody can block him."
