DOMINANT DEFENDER
Vancouver’s Covington living dream in NFL
Tucked away in the verdant woods in Summit, Wis., is a spacious log cabin owned by one Justin James Watt. As in, J.J. Watt: NFL superstar.
It’s kind of like the Batcave, except it’s wood. And rustic; very country rustic. And it’s in the middle of nowhere.
It’s also where Watt takes his Houston Texans teammates, including Vancouver’s Christian Covington, to train, bond and eat. The daily schedule involves eating, training and “lights out at 8:30.”
The same guy who is all business in training is the same guy who gave Covington a gift of a potato. Or friendship. Or … something.
“That is 100 per cent true, 100 per cent,” laughed Covington, the Vancouver College alumnus who is in Vancouver to host his C4 AllStar Football Camp on Saturday at his former school.
“It was a raw potato, and someone had taped a picture of his face — it was the classic J.J. look; black eyeliner, bloody broken nose — and it was taped on this potato.
“He walks up to me, and I’m just chillin’ at my locker, and he … hands me this potato. I’m literally standing there, confused, and he’s like, ‘It’s a symbol of our friendship.’ To this day, it might still be in my locker. I don’t know.”
The 6-3, 295-pound Covington is entering his third year in the NFL with the Texans after being drafted out of Houston’s Rice University. He’s done more than fit in; he helped his team become the most dominant defence in the NFL, and it all starts on the defensive line — arguably the league’s best.
With Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, Whitney Mercilus and Covington, the D -line anchored a defence that gave up the fewest yards in 2016.
“I think we might,” Covington said when asked if his team has the best defensive line in the league.
He’s now leaner, quicker and stronger than when he came into the NFL from the NCAA, but, more importantly, Covington is also smarter.
“I want to be a complete allaround player,” he said, pointing out he’ll likely play in the middle of Houston’s 3-4 alignment this season.
“Me going into a system like that as a rookie, it allowed me to not focus on one set of skills in particular. I had to be able to enhance myself in all aspects of football, whether it was learning how to stop the run or learning how to pass rush on the edge. It’s made me appreciate the game that much more.”
That’s the kind of response you’d expect from a player who gets jacked up for a game by listening to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and aspires to either go to medical school or become an NFL general manager when his playing days are done. His time at Rice was an eye-opening intro to football in the Lone Star State, but it provided the perfect launching pad to the NFL.
“He was a big-time player for us, the absolute poster child for everything you wanted in a Rice football player,” Rice coach David Bailiff said in an interview with the Houston Chronicle.
“He was involved in the community, had a great work ethic and is such a good young man. The best for him is yet to come.”
His high school coach, Todd Bernett, was equally complimentary, and tries to never miss a televised Texans game.
“My son and I, we have a system where one of us is watching the game. And when the highlights come on, we’re looking for number 95,” he said. “He’s intelligent. Hard working. Dedicated. Lovable.”
Look no further than his father, Grover, for the source of that. The CFL Hall of Famer’s football resumé is well-documented — 11 years in the CFL with Hamilton, including a Grey Cup in 1986. A fearsome pass rusher, he holds the CFL record for career sacks and was voted one of the league’s top-50 players of all time.
The 6-2 former defensive end has raised Christian and daughters Asianna and Autumn — elite hammer/discus throwers at the University of Georgia and Cornell, respectively, to follow their dreams.
“When I was growing up, I always said I was going to be a professional football player. And a lot of people told me I wouldn’t. You’re always going to have those dream-killers. You’re going to have people who are going to try to take away your dreams,” the slim 61-year-old said.
“If you don’t try, you already know it’s a no. So why not go and give it try? That’s why I always tell my daughters and son: ‘Don’t put limits on yourself.’”
When Christian was drafted by the Texans in the sixth round in 2015, Grover shed a few tears because he had achieved the thing he’d been working at for so many years.
“For him to be drafted — it still blows me away,” he said. “It’s not an easy thing. It’s a tough sport. You have to have a love and a passion for it. You gotta do the work. You gotta get up early. And he’s that kind of young man.”
You’re always going to have those dream-killers. You’re going to have people who are going to try to take away your dreams