Off the Ice...with J.J. Watt

This story has been updated from the originally-published version that appeared in Vol. 28.1 of CANADIENS Magazine.
Plenty of defensive players have made their mark in the NFL, but few have had as big an impact in as short a span as Justin James Watt. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year became the Houston Texans' all-time sack leader and is the first NFL player to ever record two 20-plus sack campaigns in a career. We caught up with the 28-year-old defensive end to learn more about his link to hockey's most storied franchise.

You had one of the best all-around seasons by a defensive lineman in NFL history in 2012, punctuated by you winning the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. Pretty impressive for a guy who had just completed his second season in the league.J.J. WATT:Obviously, it was a good season. I had a lot of fun. But when you prepare for something like that, you're not really surprised when it happens. I put in a lot of work and a lot of time in the offseason. But I'm also surrounded by great teammates and great coaches; it makes it a lot easier when you have some good people around you.
You're a confident guy, and you've said in interviews that you consider yourself to be the best defensive player in the NFL. Who was the best player before you came into the league?JJW:I'd say Jared Allen was one of the better ones. Jason Pierre-Paul is up there, too, but I would have to say Allen. He was a very good player and I respected his game a lot.
What sack artist did you most admire growing up?JJW: I always liked guys like Reggie White, Bruce Smith and Howie Long. Those were the types of guys I looked up to, the old-school guys. Growing up in Wisconsin, Reggie was playing with the Packers so I was a huge fan of his.
We heard you're a pretty big hockey fan and that you played a lot growing up. How'd you get your start on the ice?JJW:I started skating when I was three years old and I played minor hockey until I was 13. My parents just started bringing me to the rink and I loved it. Hockey is one of my favorite sports. I love the speed of the game, the hitting, just everything about it. I'm a huge fan.

What type of player were you on the ice: a power forward, a finesse guy, or a defensive specialist?JJW:I was a little bit smaller back then. I used to play center and I was a goal scorer. That's basically what I did. It was all about scoring goals for me.
Did you bust into a celebratory dance when you scored a goal like you do when you sack an opposing quarterback?JJW: (laughs) No, when I was a kid, it was all about having fun. I didn't have any special celebration.
What was your favorite team growing up?JJW: I was a fairweather fan as a kid. I was going back and forth between the Blackhawks and the Red Wings. I was a big fan of Ed Belfour, Jeremy Roenick, and Chris Chelios.
While you played at the University of Wisconsin, you became good friends with former Canadiens forward Blake Geoffrion. How did you two hit it off? JJW: We both went to Wisconsin at the same time; I loved going to hockey games and Blake is a big football fan. One offseason we had to do an event together a little bit after he won the Hobey Baker Award. We talked a lot about hockey and obviously we hit it off. We became friends and we've been in touch ever since.
Blake told us that when he suffered his skull fracture, you told him you prepared a special dance if you'd gotten a sack that same weekend. Unfortunately you didn't get one, but what did you have planned?JJW:Yeah I did plan something for Blake in our game against the Bears that unfortunately I haven't been able to use. I was going to pretend that I'd fired a shot top shelf before going on one knee like hockey players do. It would've been cool.

Between us, do you think you'd be a better hockey player or he'd be a better football player?JJW:(laughs) I don't know. He's a little bit smaller; he'd probably be a wide receiver or a quarterback. Tough to say. He'd be decent out there but I think I could hold my own a little bit in hockey just because of my size. I can still skate a little bit.
You played in some hockey tournaments in Quebec City and Montreal when you were younger. What are your best memories from those trips up north? JJW: I used to play in tournaments in Canada all the time. I went to Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto; I was all over the place. I had a blast, I loved it up there. I remember hearing all the French being spoken in Quebec; I had no clue what people were saying around me. I remember the fries with gravy and the Tim Horton's. I'm a huge Tim Horton's guy; it was one of my favorite treats when I traveled up there. There aren't too many of them in the United States.
So you're a poutine guy! How long has it been since you last had one? JJW:(laughs) I remember them very vividly! Having a poutine was always a treat. I haven't had one in a while, maybe 10 years or a little longer.
Bill Belichick prepared Tom Brady to face you in the playoffs by equipping his defensive line with tennis rackets to wave in practice. Is there any drawback to having such massive hands?JJW: (laughs) There's no real drawback, it's a good thing. It definitely helps me out a lot.