JJ Watt surprised the entire football world on Tuesday by announcing that this season would be the last of his prestigious career.
The defensive end broke the news to his 4.3 million Instagram followers and 5.6 million Twitter followers. In his post, a photo of him and his family accompanied the following message: “First NFL game for Koa. My last NFL home game. My heart is filled with love and gratitude. It was an honor and a pleasure. »
At 33, the Arizona Cardinals player is still at the top of his game. This season, he has recorded 9.5 quarterback sacks.
Watt was one of the most prolific quarterback fighters of his generation. In 11 seasons in the NFL, he managed 107.5 sacks in addition to winning the Defensive Player of the Year award three times.
He is also known for his involvement off the field. In 2017, Watt was presented with the Walter-Payton Trophy, given to the NFL player who has shown himself most in the community. That same year, the former player of the Houston Texans had collected, thanks to his foundation, nearly 40 million dollars to help the Texan community following the destructive passage of the hurricane. Harvey. The original goal was $200,000. Thanks to this amount, more than 1,100 houses and more than 900 early childhood centers have been rebuilt. He then donated $100,000 out of his own pocket.
In 2017, Watt also suffered a serious leg injury. The American visited the infirmary and had surgery more often than not during his career.
Watt’s next stop, however, will be at the Football Hall of Fame. The only honor missing is the Super Bowl. He had decided to agree with the Cards after nine unsuccessful seasons in Houston to try to win the precious trophy, but he did not succeed in Arizona either.