J.J. Watt's very first NFL sack came on Sept. 25, 2011 at New Orleans. Watt still remembers sacking Drew Brees for a loss of nine yards, with two minutes remaining in the second quarter.
"My rookie year, we were playing at the Superdome and that's when I got my first one," Watt said. "I came up the middle and I think he was going to throw it. I put my hand up and went to bat it down. That made him pull it down and I got it."
Watt said he had no idea what to do after the sack, so he just looked over to the sideline. His teammates were excited for the rookie defensive end. Watt saluted them. It was the very beginning of his signature sack celebration.
When asked about it, Brees said he also recalls the sack but said he didn't realize it was the first of Watt's career. He joked that he could be part of J.J. Watt trivia some day.
"I remember, I think he batted a ball down at some point in that game," Brees said via conference call Wednesday. "It was just one of those like 'Man, that guy's got long arms.' Or something like that. So yeah, I knew who he was, obviously, he's a tremendous player."
On Sunday, Watt will face Brees again as the Texans host the Saints at NRG Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon CT on FOX-26 and SportsRadio 610.
