Former University of Wisconsin standout J.J. Watt has announced his retirement after 12 seasons in the NFL.
The 33-year-old Watt will retire with five Pro Bowl selections, five first team all-NFL selections, and as a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year award winner.
Watt, who was born in Pewaukee, WI, was selected in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans and played for that team for 10 years before signing with the Arizona Cardinals and playing there his last two seasons.
Here are several stats you may not know about Watt and his career.
One: When he steps on the field Sunday for his next-to-last game, Watt will play in his 150th regular season NFL game. He is one of 465 players born in Wisconsin who played in the NFL. He will become the 19th Wisconsin-born player to play 150+ games in the league.
Two: Watt is one of 305 players from the University of Wisconsin who was drafted into the NFL. He was drafted in the first round with the 11th pick. He is one of 30 University of Wisconsin players drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Three: He is one of 12 UW players to play 12 or more seasons in the NFL.
Watt is one of three players to have 20+ sacks in multiple seasons
Four: Watt had 20 or more sacks in two seasons (20.5 in 2012 and 20.5 in 2014). He is one of only three players in the NFL to have 20+ sacks in multiple seasons. Deacon Jones did it in three seasons; Mark Gastineau did it twice.
Five: J.J. had 15+ sacks in four seasons. Deacon Jones leads this category with six seasons with 15+ sacks. Reggie White had five seasons; Watt is tied with Jack Youngblood with four seasons with 15+ sacks.
Six: Watt had five touchdowns in 2014. He scored three times with a receiving TD, and once each with an interception return for TD and a fumble return for TD.
Seven: He is one of only six players in NFL history to score touchdowns on a pass reception, interception, and fumble recovery in the same season. The other five players all did it before 1962. Watt did it in 2014.
Eight: Watt is one of 37 players in NFL history to have a TD reception, interception for TD, and a fumble recovery return for TD in their career.
J.J. is the Houston Texans career sack leader
Nine: J.J. is the Houston Texans career sack leader with 101 sacks. Next on the list is Whitney Mercilus with 57.
Ten: Watt’s 111.5 career sacks is 38th on the all-time NFL list.
Eleven: Of the 62 NFL players with 100 or more career sacks, Watt’s 38 career points scored are second among those players. Jason Taylor tops the list with 60 points scored among those 100+ career sack players.
Twelve: J.J. Watt ranks second all-time with 191 Tackles for Loss (TFL). Terrell Suggs is first on the list with 202. Watt led the league in TFL three times (2012, 2014, 2015).
All three of Watt’s career receptions went for a TD
Thirteen: Watt has three career receptions. All three went for a touchdown.
Fourteen: Watt is one of three players to win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year (POY) Award three times. The others: Lawrence Taylor and Aaron Donald. Watt won the award in three of the first five years he played in the league.
Fifteen: J.J. played in nine post-season games, eight with Houston, one with Arizona. His teams were 3-6 in those games. His teams never advanced to a championship game.
Sixteen: In the 149 regular season games he played in, his teams were 77-72 (.517).
Watt was UW Scout Team POY in 2008
Seventeen: Watt attended Central Michigan his first year (2007) in college. He then transferred to the University of Wisconsin where he was a walk-on. After being a red shirt in 2008, Watt was selected as the Badgers’ Scout Team Player of the Year in 2008. He then played in 26 games with the Badgers in 2009 and 2010 where he had 11.5 career sacks, 36.5 tackles for loss, and one interception.
Eighteen: J.J. was selected as an NFL Top 100 player on eight occasions (2013-20). He was ranked as #1 in 2015. He was #3 in 2016 and #5 in 2013.
Nineteen: Of all the players taken in the 2011 NFL Draft, Watt’s five first-team all-pro selections is first.
J.J. Watt is the only player to achieve this stat in NFL history
Twenty: In the category of truly bizarre stats… J.J. Watt is the only player in NFL history to have 20 or more sacks in a season and score 30+ points that same season. He had 20.5 sacks and 32 points scored in 2014.
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