--- title: J.J. Watt: the Houston Texans' Rising Superstar description: JJ Watt is among the best defensive ends in the NFL canonical: https://time.com/4038104/meet-the-houston-texans-rising-superstar/ author: Jack Dickey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-09-17T10:17:04.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T11:01:02.468Z article:section: Sports og:title: J.J. Watt: the Houston Texans' Rising Superstar og:description: JJ Watt is among the best defensive ends in the NFL og:url: https://time.com/4038104/meet-the-houston-texans-rising-superstar/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: J.J. Watt: the Houston Texans' Rising Superstar twitter:description: JJ Watt is among the best defensive ends in the NFL twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Meet the Houston Texans' Rising Superstar > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with Ally. Ally is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: July 2026. ## Ally: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Ally is a digital financial services company offering online-only banking, including checking and savings accounts, through Ally.com and its mobile apps. Launched in 2009 as an original disruptor in financial services, Ally was built to challenge outdated banking norms with a simpler, more convenient way to bank. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account.  by [Jack Dickey](https://time.com/author/jack-dickey/)  ## Jack Dickey Sep 17, 2015 10:17 AM UTC  by [Jack Dickey](https://time.com/author/jack-dickey/)  ## Jack Dickey Sep 17, 2015 10:17 AM UTC The NFL’s best player–by advanced statistics–doesn’t catch, throw or carry the ball. But the 6-ft. 5-in., 290-lb. Watt has excelled on the defensive line beyond not only the expectations of scouts and coaches but also the traditional limits of his position. As the 2015 season (Watt’s fifth) kicks into gear, both the beleaguered NFL and the antsy Houston fan base consider what new heights may await football’s most fearsome golden boy. WHY HE’S THE BEST Analysis website Pro Football Focus has named Watt the league’s top player, on offense or defense, three years running. Although it’s tough to compare statistics across positions, Watt has achieved more success relative to his peers, the site says, than any other player. Since his rookie year, Watt leads all linemen in sacks, pass deflections and tackles for a loss. BEFORE THE NFL Watt grew up in Pewaukee, Wis., and made first-team all-state his senior season in high school. Yet the major scouting services graded him only a two-star recruit (out of five), and the state university’s Badgers didn’t offer him a scholarship. Watt landed instead at Central Michigan but dropped out after a year, determined to play for Wisconsin. He walked on to the team, with his parents paying his tuition. By his junior season he was the team’s MVP, and in April 2011 he was the 11th overall pick in the draft. A COMMANDING STYLE Watt’s coaches have entrusted him with the unusual authority to line up all over the defensive line, earning him comparisons to all-time greats Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White. He also caught three touchdowns for Houston on offense last year. SPONSORSHIPS Watt does commercials for Gatorade, Reebok and Verizon, among others, meaning he’ll be unavoidable on Sundays even during other teams’ games. WHAT’S NEXT After division wins in 2011 and 2012, the Texans have missed the playoffs each of the past two years. Houston lost to Kansas City in Week 1, 27-20; Watt had two sacks. The Texans’ quarterbacks may struggle, but third-year receiver DeAndre Hopkins and Watt’s defense (including 2014 No. 1 pick Jadeveon Clowney and veteran Vince Wilfork) should give the rest of the league headaches. –JACK DICKEY ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4038104/meet-the-houston-texans-rising-superstar/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4038104/meet-the-houston-texans-rising-superstar/"},"headline":"Meet the Houston Texans' Rising Superstar","datePublished":"2015-09-17T10:17:04.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T11:01:02.468Z","description":"JJ Watt is among the best defensive ends in the NFL","url":"https://time.com/4038104/meet-the-houston-texans-rising-superstar/","keywords":["Football"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jack Dickey","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/jack-dickey/"}],"articleSection":"Sports","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/sports/","name":"Sports"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/football/","name":"Football"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4038104/meet-the-houston-texans-rising-superstar/","name":"Meet the Houston Texans' Rising Superstar"}}]}] ```