Healthy and wise
J.J. Watt aims to better NFL’s best defense.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Defensive end J.J. Watt is always one of the first players on the practice field during training camp.
No one has to look to see who’s drawing the most thunderous ovation. Whether the Texans are practicing at Houston Methodist Training Center or The Greenbrier Sports and Performance Center, the loudest cheers are saved for No. 99.
“It’s fun,” Watt said after one rain-soaked practice. “It’s good to be back on the field, to be back playing football, to be back with my teammates. It feels like where I belong. It’s been a long time coming.”
Last year was misery for Watt. He underwent back surgery in the offseason, and after helping the Texans start the season 2-0, he underwent a second operation on his back after the third game and was lost for the year.
An opportunity to grow
Now he’s healthy again and wiser about taking care of his body.
“Obviously, I went through some tough times last year,” he said. “I’ve probably grown more as a person than I have as a player. I think I’ve learned a lot about myself, learned a lot about life in general.
“You grow as a player as well. You learn from watching things. You learn how to treat your body and how to treat each game. You learn to be a better leader and a better teammate.
“I’m only 28, so there’s still a lot left for me to learn.”
On this overcast morning after practice, Watt looked around the field, watching some teammates staying late to work on techniques, others doing interviews in the media tent and some signing autographs for the fans who had waited patiently.
“I really enjoy football, my teammates and the fans,” Watt said. “I enjoy every aspect of the game. I’m just really thankful to be playing again.”
Each morning during camp, Watt arrives on the field with a purpose. He and some teammates play four square to loosen up. They began in OTAs.
“There were these squares set up that we have for the Oline (and) D-line, and there were these balls we were using for pass bat-downs,” Watt said, explaining the origin of a game usually reserved for kids. “We saw the setup, and we were like, ‘We’ve got extra time to kill, let’s just play.’
“Ever since, we come out a half-hour early just to play four square as our warm-up. It’s great because you stretch while you’re in line. It’s competitive and fun. It gets heated quickly. Obviously, we bust each other’s chops pretty good.”
The players are using their time in camp to bond and build chemistry they hope will benefit them in the regular season — and the playoffs if they get that far for a third consecutive year under Bill O’Brien.
“We have some very talented guys, an unbelievable group,” Watt said. “We have a lot of fun. Whether it’s meetings, practice, workouts — we’re always laughing and having fun.
“It’s like we’re a bunch of big 6-year-olds out there. If you heard the conversations we’re having, it’s not anything groundbreaking by any means, but we know how to make each other laugh.
“It’s a kids’ game we play. I heard (defensive line coach Anthony Weaver) say, ‘Kids’ game for a king’s ransom,’ and that’s really what it is.”
Despite Watt healthy for only two games, the Texans finished first in defense in 2016. With him returning, the coaches and players want to be better. With Watt and Jadeveon Clowney as bookends, the defense could be dominant.
While Watt was rehabbing and cheerleading last season, Clowney emerged as a force, especially against the run, earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition.
Finally joining Clowney
Since Clowney entered the league as the first overall pick in the 2014 draft, there haven’t been a lot of games in which he and Watt were on the field at the same time.
“Hopefully, we can get that done this year,” Clowney said. “Give the people what they want — play hard and make a lot of plays up front.
“With (Watt) out there, it’s always going to be good, not just for me but for everybody around him. He’s going to be noticed. Other teams are going to have to game-plan for him, and us knowing that will help us a lot.”
Complementary players
Having Watt and Clowney on the field should give offensive linemen headaches, if not nightmares.
“With him out there, it just makes it a lot easier for everybody to make a lot of plays,” Clowney said. “He’s a great player, and I think he rubs off on just about everybody.
“He’s a high-energy guy. Him being out there makes the other guys work harder. Having him back is great.”
Watt, Clowney and linebacker Whitney Mercilus give the Texans a trio of pass rushers who could be outstanding. Watt averaged 17.4 sacks over a fouryear period and was voted NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times, tying Lawrence Taylor for the most in history.
“It’s going to be great,” Watt said. “You’ve got some phenomenal pass-rushing ability out there. Just to see the talent we have and the ability to put it on the field at the same time and to come from different angles, it’s going to be really special.”
It’ll be up to new defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel to determine how he wants to use Watt, Clowney and Mercilus. All moved around under Romeo Crennel, who’s now the assistant head coach to O’Brien.
As Watt approaches the start of his seventh season, he means more to the Texans than what he contributes on the field, according to the coaches and players.
“He’s become a great leader,” O’Brien said. “He’s really good with the younger players. He gives them good advice.
“You see him in the locker room all the time communicating with the younger players, talking about things they can do to practice better and to take care of their bodies better.
“Sometimes when guys are that good, they’re hard to approach, but he’s a very approachable guy. He eats with different guys every day. He does a lot of different things to help lead this team.”
Nobody is more excited to see Watt return and to think about the potential of his defense than O’Brien. In his first two seasons as coach, O’Brien watched Watt total 38 sacks.
Appreciative O’Brien
Now the Texans are trying to win a third consecutive AFC South title and advance beyond the divisional round of the playoffs for the first time. Having Watt back should enhance their chances.
“It’s great to have him back,” O’Brien said. “He’s one of the top players in our league, (the) top defensive player in our league, so to have him back means a lot to our team.”