Wade Phillips said that.
The Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator didn't say it yesterday. Or last year.
He said it in late July of 2012, over a month before Watt grabbed the NFL by it's proverbial shoulders, shook it ferociously, and turned in one of the finest defensive seasons in the League's history.
Back then, Phillips was in his second year as the Texans defensive coordinator. He'd seen Watt turn in a solid rookie campaign, that crescendoed in the months of December and January, when he became a playmaker on a great defense.
Phillips had seen enough of Watt on the field, and off it, to know that the Texans had something special in the second-year defensive end. Watt then proceeded to go out and make Phillips look like a prophet.
The stat lines from that campaign are gaudy.
20.5 sacks.
39 tackles for loss.
16 batted passes.
43 quarterback hits.
He and the Texans went 12-4 that season, and Watt was the driving force on a defense that saw captain DeMeco Ryans get traded prior to the season, and 2011 team MVP Brian Cushing go down with a knee injury in the fifth week of the campaign.
On an almost weekly basis, he found a way to litter the various categories of a stat sheet. Watt rang up seven multi-sack games. He batted a pass down in eight games. He hit the quarterback at least once in every game, and in 12 games he hit the quarterback multiple times. In every game but two, Watt registered a tackle for loss.
Watt would win the award again in 2014 and 2015.
Check out the best shots of DE J.J. Watt from the 2018 season.
An image of the Dec. 2, 2018 regular season home game against the Cleveland Browns. The Texans won 29-13.
An image from the Dec. 30, 2018 regular season home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans won 20-3.
An image from the Dec. 30, 2018 regular season home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans won 20-3.
An image from the Jan. 5, 2019 Wildcard game against the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans lost 7-21.
An image from the Dec. 30, 2018 regular season home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans won 20-3.
An image from the Dec. 30, 2018 regular season home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans won 20-3.
An image from the Dec. 30, 2018 regular season home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans won 20-3.
An image from the Dec. 30, 2018 regular season home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans won 20-3.
A July 28, 2018 image of Texans Training Camp practice three at the Greenbrier in West Virginia.
An image from the Dec. 30, 2018 regular season home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans won 20-3.
An image from the Dec. 30, 2018 regular season home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans won 20-3.
An image from the Dec. 9, 2018 regular season home game against the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans lost 21-24.
An image from the Dec. 30, 2018 regular season home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans won 20-3.
An image from the Dec. 30, 2018 regular season home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans won 20-3.
An image from the Jan. 5, 2019 Wildcard game against the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans lost 7-21.
An image from the Dec. 30, 2018 regular season home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans won 20-3.
An image from the Dec. 16, 2018 regular season away game against the New York Jets. The Texans won 29-22.
An image from the Dec. 30, 2018 regular season home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans won 20-3.
An image from the Dec. 30, 2018 regular season home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans won 20-3.
An image from the Nov. 26, 2018 home game against the Tennessee Titans. The Texans won 34-17.
An image from the Dec. 23, 2018 regular season away game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Texans lost 30-32.
An image from the Dec. 23, 2018 regular season away game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Texans lost 30-32.
An image from the Dec. 30, 2018 regular season home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans won 20-3.
An image from the Dec. 16, 2018 regular season away game against the New York Jets. The Texans won 29-22.
An image from the Dec. 16, 2018 regular season away game against the New York Jets. The Texans won 29-22.
An image from the Nov. 18, 2018 regular season away game against the Washington Redskins. The Texans won 23-21.
An image from the Dec. 23, 2018 regular season away game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Texans lost 30-32.
An image from the Dec. 23, 2018 regular season away game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Texans lost 30-32.
An image from the Dec. 16, 2018 regular season away game against the New York Jets. The Texans won 29-22.
An image from the Dec. 9, 2018 regular season home game against the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans lost 21-24.
An image of the Dec. 2, 2018 regular season home game against the Cleveland Browns. The Texans won 29-13.
An image from the Oct. 21, 2018 regular season away game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans won 20-7.
An image of the Dec. 2, 2018 regular season home game against the Cleveland Browns. The Texans won 29-13.
An image of the Dec. 2, 2018 regular season home game against the Cleveland Browns. The Texans won 29-13.
An image from the Oct. 21, 2018 regular season away game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans won 20-7.
An image of the Dec. 2, 2018 regular season home game against the Cleveland Browns. The Texans won 29-13.
An image from the Sept. 30, 2018 regular season away game against the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans won 37-34 in overtime.
An image from the Oct. 14, 2018 regular season home game against the Buffalo Bills. The Texans won 20-13.
An image from the Nov. 18, 2018 regular season away game against the Washington Redskins. The Texans won 23-21.
An image from the Nov. 18, 2018 regular season away game against the Washington Redskins. The Texans won 23-21.
An image from the Nov. 4, 2018 regular season away game against the Denver Broncos. The Texans won 19-17.
An image from the Oct. 14, 2018 regular season home game against the Buffalo Bills. The Texans won 20-13.
An image from the Nov. 18, 2018 regular season away game against the Washington Redskins. The Texans won 23-21.
An image from the Oct. 7, 2018 Week 5 home game against the Dallas Cowboys. The Texans won 19-16.
An image from the Nov. 4, 2018 regular season away game against the Denver Broncos. The Texans won 19-17.
An image from the Oct. 25, 2018 regular season home game against the Miami Dolphins. The Texans won 42-23.
An image from the Oct. 7, 2018 Week 5 home game against the Dallas Cowboys. The Texans won 19-16.
An image from the Sept. 23, 2018 regular season home game against the New York Giants. The Texans lost 22-27.An image from the Sept. 23, 2018 regular season home game against the New York Giants. The Texans lost 22-27.
An image from the Sept. 23, 2018 regular season home game against the New York Giants. The Texans lost 22-27.An image from the Sept. 23, 2018 regular season home game against the New York Giants. The Texans lost 22-27.
An image from the Oct. 14, 2018 regular season home game against the Buffalo Bills. The Texans won 20-13.
An image from the Oct. 14, 2018 regular season home game against the Buffalo Bills. The Texans won 20-13.
An image from the Oct. 7, 2018 Week 5 home game against the Dallas Cowboys. The Texans won 19-16.
An image from the Oct. 14, 2018 regular season home game against the Buffalo Bills. The Texans won 20-13.
An image from the Oct. 14, 2018 regular season home game against the Buffalo Bills. The Texans won 20-13.
fAn image from the Sept. 23, 2018 regular season home game against the New York Giants. The Texans lost 22-27.
fAn image from the Sept. 23, 2018 regular season home game against the New York Giants. The Texans lost 22-27.
An image from the Sept. 30, 2018 regular season away game against the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans won 37-34 in overtime.
An image from the Oct. 7, 2018 Week 5 home game against the Dallas Cowboys. The Texans won 19-16.
fAn image from the Sept. 23, 2018 regular season home game against the New York Giants. The Texans lost 22-27.An image from the Sept. 23, 2018 regular season home game against the New York Giants. The Texans lost 22-27.
An image from the Oct. 7, 2018 Week 5 home game against the Dallas Cowboys. The Texans won 19-16.
An image from the Oct. 7, 2018 Week 5 home game against the Dallas Cowboys. The Texans won 19-16.
fAn image from the Sept. 23, 2018 regular season home game against the New York Giants. The Texans lost 22-27.
An image from the Sept. 9, 2018 regular season away game against the New England Patriots. The Texans lost 20-27.
An image from the Sept. 16, 2018 regular season away game against the Tennessee Titans. The Texans lost 17-20.
An image from the Sept. 23, 2018 regular season home game against the New York Giants. The Texans lost 22-27.
fAn image from the Sept. 23, 2018 regular season home game against the New York Giants. The Texans lost 22-27.
An image from the Sept. 16, 2018 regular season away game against the Tennessee Titans. The Texans lost 17-20.
An image from the Sept. 9, 2018 regular season away game against the New England Patriots. The Texans lost 20-27.
fAn image from the Sept. 23, 2018 regular season home game against the New York Giants. The Texans lost 22-27.
An image from the Aug. 25, 2018 Texans preseason away game against the Los Angeles Rams. The Texans lost 20-21.
An image from the Aug. 7, 2018 training camp practice at the Greenbrier in West Virginia.
An image from the Sept. 9, 2018 regular season away game against the New England Patriots. The Texans lost 20-27.
fAn image from the Sept. 23, 2018 regular season home game against the New York Giants. The Texans lost 22-27.
An image from the Sept. 23, 2018 regular season home game against the New York Giants. The Texans lost 22-27.An image from the Sept. 23, 2018 regular season home game against the New York Giants. The Texans lost 22-27.
An image from the Aug. 25, 2018 Texans preseason away game against the Los Angeles Rams. The Texans lost 20-21.
An image from the Sept. 9, 2018 regular season away game against the New England Patriots. The Texans lost 20-27.
An image from the Sept. 9, 2018 regular season away game against the New England Patriots. The Texans lost 20-27.
An image from the Sept. 9, 2018 regular season away game against the New England Patriots. The Texans lost 20-27.
An image from the Sept. 9, 2018 regular season away game against the New England Patriots. The Texans lost 20-27.
An image from the Aug. 25, 2018 Texans preseason away game against the Los Angeles Rams. The Texans lost 20-21.
An image from the Aug. 25, 2018 Texans preseason away game against the Los Angeles Rams. The Texans lost 20-21.
An image from the Aug. 5, 2018 Texans training camp practice at the Greenbrier in West Virginia.
A July 31, 2018 image of training camp practice at the Greenbrier in West Virginia.
An Aug. 14, 2018 image of the Houston Texans training camp practice at the Houston Methodist Training Center.
