T. J. Watt

T. J. Watt

refer to caption Watt with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021
No. 90 Pittsburgh Steelers
Position:	Outside linebacker
Personal information
Date of birth:	(1994-10-11) October 11, 1994
Place of birth:	Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Height:
Weight:
Career information
High school:	Pewaukee (Pewaukee, Wisconsin)
College:	Wisconsin (2013–2016)
NFL draft:	2017 / Round: 1 / Pick: 30
Career history
Pittsburgh Steelers (2017–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2021) 3× First-team All-Pro (2019–2021) Second-team All-Pro (2019) 4× Pro Bowl (2018–2021) 2× Deacon Jones Award (2020, 2021) NFL forced fumbles co-leader (2019) Butkus Award (2020) PFWA All-Rookie Team (2017) Second-team All-American (2016) First-team All-Big Ten (2016) NFL records Most sacks in a season: 22.5 (tied with Michael Strahan) Most seasons leading league in sacks: 2 (tied) Most consecutive seasons leading league in sacks: 2 (tied with Mark Gastineau and Reggie White)
Career NFL statistics as of 2021
Total tackles: 294 Sacks: 72.0 Pass deflections: 32 Forced fumbles: 22 Fumble recoveries: 7 Interceptions: 4 Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Trent Jordan Watt (born October 11, 1994) is an American football outside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Wisconsin, and was drafted by the Steelers in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. His older brothers are J. J. Watt of the Arizona Cardinals and Derek Watt who is a teammate of his on the Steelers. He was a finalist for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2019 and 2020 before finally winning the award in 2021. In 2021, Watt signed a four-year extension worth over $112 million including $80 million guaranteed, making him the highest paid defensive player in the NFL. Despite missing two games in 2021, he tied the single-season NFL record for most quarterback sacks in a season, matching Michael Strahan's 22.5 sack record that was set in 2001.

College career

File:20170102 Cotton Bowl UW vs W Mich (18) (34995857133).jpg

Watt with the Wisconsin Badgers in 2017

Coming out of Pewaukee High School, Watt was rated as a three-star recruit by various recruiting services.

Watt started his collegiate career as a tight end recruit for the Wisconsin Badgers. Watt's knee was injured in the 2014 season and he was in the recovery process until the middle of the 2015 season. He did not play a game from October 2012 to September 2015.

In July 2015, Watt was asked by head coach Paul Chryst to switch to a defensive position as a redshirt sophomore. Badgers' outside linebackers coach Tim Tibesar recalled Watt's position change saying, "At that time, even though he was in his third fall at Wisconsin, it was kind of like having a freshman come in. You're trying to teach him for the first time how to play outside 'backer in our system." After the fourth game of his junior season, he led the Big Ten conference in sacks. In the Michigan State game, he was named the Big Ten Player of the Week and was given the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week Award.

During the 2016 season, Watt recorded 59 total tackles and 11.5 sacks. Additionally, he recorded an interception and a defensive touchdown during the Badgers' game against Purdue. Watt also received first-team All-American honors by Sports Illustrated and second-team honors by The Associated Press for his play during the 2016 season. On November 29, 2016, Watt was named first-team All-Big Ten. On January 3, 2017, Watt announced on Twitter that he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2017 NFL Draft.

Statistics

NCAA Collegiate Career statistics
Wisconsin Badgers
Year	Team	GP	Tackles				Interceptions					Fumbles
			Comb	Total	Ast	Sack	Int	Yards	Avg	TD	PD	FF	FR
2015	Wisconsin	8	7	3	4	0.0	0	0	0.0	0	2	0	0
2016	Wisconsin	14	63	38	25	11.5	1	17	17.0	1	4	2	1
Career		22	70	41	29	11.5	1	17	17.0	1	6	2	1

Professional career

Watt received an invitation to the NFL Combine as one of the top edge rushers in the draft and completed all the combine drills. Among linebackers, Watt finished second in the vertical jump and three-cone drill, tied for first in the broad jump (with Jabrill Peppers), and also tied for first in the short shuttle. He attended Wisconsin's pro day, along with Dare Ogunbowale, Vince Biegel, Corey Clement, Sojourn Shelton, and six other teammates. Green Bay Packers' General Manager Ted Thompson and Pittsburgh Steelers' head coach Mike Tomlin were among the 65 team representatives and scouts present for his pro day as Pittsburgh Steelers' linebacker's coach Joey Porter, Carolina Panthers' and New York Jets' outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene led Watt's positional drills. The majority of NFL draft experts and analysts projected Watt to be a late first round or second round pick. He was ranked the second best outside linebacker in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com, ranked the fourth best outside linebacker by NFL analyst Bucky Brooks, and was ranked the ninth best edge rusher by Sports Illustrated. ESPN also ranked Watt the 44th best prospect available in the draft.

External video
T.J. Watt’s NFL Combine Workout
T.J. Watt runs the 40-yard dash in 4.69 seconds

Pre-draft measurables

Ht	Wt	Arm length	Hand size	40-yd dash	10-yd split	20-yd split	20-ss	3-cone	Vert	Broad	BP
6 ft 4 1/2 in	252 lb	33 1/8 in	11 in	4.69 s	1.59 s	2.71 s	4.13 s	6.79 s	37 in	10 ft 8 in	21 reps
All values from NFL Combine

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Watt in the first round as the 30th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Watt was the fourth linebacker selected and the second outside linebacker. He was also the fourth linebacker taken in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2013.

External video
Steelers draft T.J. Watt 30th overall
NFL Draft Profile: T.J. Watt

2017 season

On June 14, 2017, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Watt to a fully guaranteed, four-year, $9.25 million contract with a signing bonus of $4.87 million.

He entered training camp competing with James Harrison for the starting right outside linebacker position. Watt was named the Pittsburgh Steelers' starting right outside linebacker to begin the regular season. Watt saw action in the NFL for the first time in the team's first preseason game against the New York Giants, where he made two sacks in the 20–12 victory.

External video
T.J. Watt Week 1 Highlights
Top 10 T.J. Watt plays of 2017
T.J. Watt puts game in ice with last second strip sack

Watt made his professional regular season debut and first NFL start in the Pittsburgh Steelers' season-opener against the Cleveland Browns on September 10, 2017, where he recorded seven combined tackles, two sacks, and one interception, which came off of quarterback DeShone Kizer, as the Steelers won by a score of 21–18. He recorded his first career sack, tackle, and interception during the game and returned the interception for 17-yards. He became the first rookie to start at linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers since Aaron Jones in 1988. The following week, he assisted on two tackles before leaving during the first half of the Steelers' 26–9 victory over the Minnesota Vikings with a groin injury. He was declared out for Week 3 against the Chicago Bears. On October 22, 2017, Watt made six combined tackles and made his fourth sack of the season on Cincinnati Bengals' quarterback Andy Dalton during the Steelers' 29–14 victory. He tied Bud Dupree (2014) and LaMarr Woodley (2007) for the franchise record for most sacks by a rookie with his fourth. Watt finished his rookie season with 54 combined tackles (40 solo), seven pass deflections, seven sacks, and an interception in 15 games and 15 starts.

The Pittsburgh Steelers finished atop the AFC North with a 13–3 record and earned a playoff berth. On January 14, 2018, Watt started his first NFL playoff game and recorded two combined tackles and deflected a pass in a narrow 45–42 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Divisional Round.

2018 season

Watt entered training camp slated as a starting left outside linebacker. Head coach Mike Tomlin named Watt and Bud Dupree, who was now on the right side, the starting outside linebackers to begin the season, alongside inside linebackers Vince Williams and Jon Bostic.

External video
T.J. watt strip sacks Ryan and Fort recovers for TD
Top 5 T.J. Watt plays vs. Browns in Week 1

Watt started in the season-opener at the Cleveland Browns and recorded a season-high ten combined tackles (seven solo), three sacks, and blocked a potential game-winning field goal during overtime in a 21–21 tie. He earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance. On October 7, 2018, Watt recorded eight combined tackles, tied his season-high of three sacks, and forced a fumble in the Steelers’ 41–17 win against the Atlanta Falcons. His performance earned him his second AFC Defensive Player of the Week award of the year. He started in all 16 games in 2018 and recorded 68 combined tackles (50 solo), 13 sacks, six forced fumbles, and three pass deflections. He received an overall grade of 75.8 from Pro Football Focus in 2018, which ranked as the 24th highest grade among all qualifying edge defenders. After the season, Watt was ranked #93 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.

2019 season

File:TJ Watt.jpg

Watt playing for the Steelers in 2019.

In Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, Watt recorded six tackles and made his first sack of the season on Russell Wilson in the 26–28 loss. In Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers, Watt recorded his first interception of the season off Jimmy Garoppolo in the 24–20 loss. In Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins, Watt recorded two sacks on Ryan Fitzpatrick, one of which was a strip sack that he forced and recovered, in the 27–14 win. For his performance in November, Watt earned AFC Defensive Player of the Month. In Week 14 against the Arizona Cardinals, Watt recorded his second interception of the season in the end zone off a pass thrown by Kyler Murray during the 23–17 win.

By the end of his third season, Watt had established himself as one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL, tallying an AFC-high 14.5 sacks and a league-high eight forced fumbles. He was voted Team MVP by his teammates, being the first defensive player to win the award since Troy Polamalu in 2010. Watt was voted All-Pro as both edge rusher (1st Team) and linebacker (2nd Team). He was also nominated for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, finishing third in voting. Following the season, Watt was ranked 25th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.

2020 season

On March 17, 2020, the Steelers signed Watt's older brother Derek, putting the two brothers on the same team. On April 28, 2020, the Steelers exercised the fifth-year option on Watt's contract.

In Week 1 against the New York Giants, Watt recorded his lone interception of the season off a pass thrown by Daniel Jones during the 26–16 win. In Week 2 against the Denver Broncos, Watt recorded his first 2.5 sacks of the season on Jeff Driskel during the 26–21 win. He was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in Week 2. On October 1, 2020, Watt was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for his performance in September. In Week 10 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Watt recorded two sacks on rookie quarterback Joe Burrow during the 36–10 win. In Week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens, Watt recorded two sacks on Robert Griffin III during the 19–14 win. Watt was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for his performance in November. In Week 16 against the Indianapolis Colts, Watt recorded two sacks on Philip Rivers, including a strip sack that was recovered by teammate Mike Hilton, during the 28–24 comeback win. On December 31, 2020, for the second straight season, Watt was voted Team MVP by his teammates. At seasons end, Watt led the NFL in sacks (15), tackles for loss (23) and quarterback hits (41). He was nominated for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, finishing second in voting. Watt played in the Steelers lone playoff game, recording three combined tackles and deflected a pass as the Steelers lost to the Cleveland Browns 48–37 in the AFC Wild Card Round. Prior to the upcoming season, Watt's peers voted him #9 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2021.

2021 season

On September 9, 2021, the Steelers extended Watt to a four-year deal worth over $112 million with $80 million guaranteed, making him the highest paid defensive player in the NFL. In Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, Watt made three tackles and two sacks on quarterback Josh Allen, one of which Watt also forced a fumble which was recovered by teammate Cameron Heyward in the 23–16 win. In Week 6 against the Seattle Seahawks, Watt played a large role in the 23–20 win in overtime, tallying seven total tackles, three tackles for loss, three passes defended, and two sacks, one of which was a strip sack in overtime that led to the game-winning field goal. He was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in Week 6. In Week 13, Watt was a contributing factor in helping the Steelers defeat the Baltimore Ravens, 20–19. He had six combined tackles (five solo), 3.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, six quarterback hits and a forced fumble. His performance earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week. In the Steelers’ 19–13 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 15, Watt recorded 1.5 sacks on quarterback Ryan Tannehill. This gave Watt a total of 17.5 sacks on the season, a franchise record, surpassing the mark previously set by James Harrison in 2008. In Week 17, Watt earned his third AFC Defensive Player of the Week for the year, in a victory over the Cleveland Browns, 26–14. In this game, Watt recorded five tackles (all solo), four sacks, three tackles for loss, five quarterback hits and two passes defended. On January 6, 2022, the Steelers named Watt their Team MVP. He became the only player in team history to win the award in three-straight seasons. In Week 18, Watt tied Michael Strahan's 20-year old NFL single-season sack record, with a sack of Baltimore's Tyler Huntley during their 16–13 overtime win. Watt ended the regular season leading the league in sacks (22.5), tackles for loss (21) and quarterback hits (39). At the 11th Annual NFL Honors, Watt won NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

NFL career statistics

Legend
	NFL Defensive Player of the Year
	NFL record
	Led the league
Bold	Career high

NFL career statistics
Year	Team	Games		Tackles						Interceptions					Fumbles
		GP	GS	Comb	Solo	Ast	Sack	TFL	QBH	Int	Yds	Avg	TD	PD	FF	FR	Yds	TD
2017	PIT	15	15	54	40	14	7.0	10	13	1	17	17.0	0	7	1	0	0	0
2018	PIT	16	16	68	50	18	13.0	12	21	0	0	0.0	0	3	6	0	0	0
2019	PIT	16	16	55	35	20	14.5	14	36	2	7	3.5	0	8	8	4	0	0
2020	PIT	15	15	53	43	10	15.0	23	41	1	0	0.0	0	7	2	0	0	0
2021	PIT	15	15	64	48	16	22.5	21	39	0	0	0.0	0	7	5	3	1	0
Career		77	77	294	216	78	72.0	80	150	4	24	6.0	0	32	22	7	1	0

Postseason statistics
Year	Team	Games		Tackles						Interceptions					Fumbles
		GP	GS	Comb	Solo	Ast	Sack	TFL	QBH	Int	Yds	Avg	TD	PD	FF	FR	Yds	TD
2017	PIT	1	1	2	1	1	0.0	0	2	0	0	0.0	0	1	0	0	0	0
2020	PIT	1	1	3	2	1	0.0	1	0	0	0	0.0	0	1	0	0	0	0
2021	PIT	1	1	3	3	0	1.0	2	3	0	0	0.0	0	1	0	1	26	1
Career		3	3	8	6	2	1.0	3	5	0	0	0.0	0	3	0	1	26	1

Personal life

Born the youngest of three boys, Watt was raised by his parents, Connie and John Watt, in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. His father was a firefighter for 25 years and his mother is the vice president of an independent inspections company. His two older brothers, J. J. and Derek, both played at Wisconsin and are both currently playing in the NFL. Derek is a fullback for the Pittsburgh Steelers and was selected in the sixth round by the then-San Diego Chargers with the 198th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, before signing with the Steelers in 2020. J. J. is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and five-time All-Pro defensive end who currently plays for the Arizona Cardinals, and was selected by the Houston Texans in the first round with the 11th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. T. J. was teammates with Derek at Wisconsin from 2012 to 2015. During his time at Wisconsin, Watt majored in retailing and consumer behavior.

He is engaged to professional soccer player Dani Rhodes.

External links

• Wisconsin Badgers bio
• Pittsburgh Steelers bio