Tag: JJ Watt

J.J. Watt makes his case for Jayden Daniels as MVP

JJ Watt makes his case for Jayden Daniels.

Legendary former NFL defensive end J.J. Watt has seen enough. He believes Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is a legit MVP candidate.

“People don’t want to give a rookie MVP,” Watt said this week on the “Pat McAfee Show.”

“I think they think the Rookie of the Year award, that’s his recognition, his MVP, no matter how good he plays. You kind of have to prove it over time to earn an MVP award, which I 100% and completely disagree with. Who knows how this is going to play out over the course of the rest of the year? We’re only seven weeks in. But if he continues to play at a rate that nobody in the history of the league has ever done, and he continues to elevate this team to where they go on and possibly win this division, possibly win some playoff games. I mean, that would be the definition of a most valuable player. He was drafted, he came in, and he turned an entire organization around in one year. That’s the most valuable player.”

Watt provided more information for his argument.

Watt makes some compelling arguments. The MVP isn’t meant to be awarded to the player with the best stats but the player who is most valuable to their team. Yes, there is a long way to go, but through seven weeks, what player has transformed a franchise like Daniels has done with the Commanders?

Yes, he’s had plenty of help, but Washington is a legit playoff contender because of Daniels. Without Daniels? Not so much.

Daniels injured his rib in last Sunday’s win over the Panthers and did not return. His mother later said he was fine, but head coach Dan Quinn said Daniels was “week to week” and he was “hopeful” he could play on Sunday vs. the Chicago Bears.

Jalon Walker earns recognition from NFL greats, SEC

UGA LB Jalon Walker earned praise from NFL legends and the SEC for his performance against the Texas Longhorns.

Georgia Bulldog linebacker Jalon Walker had an amazing game against the Texas Longhorns: eight tackles, three sacks and three tackles for loss. He was one of the biggest reasons Georgia upset the No. 1 Longhorns, 30-15. For his performance, he earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Thanks to this amazing performance, he received shoutouts from two legends at his position: J.J. Watt and Micah Parsons. Soon-to-be NFL Hall of Famer J.J. Watt took to X (formerly Twitter) to comment on Jalon Walker: “Jalon Walker having a hell of a 1st half for Georgia…” Walker recorded seven tackles and three sacks in the first half against Texas.

Dallas Cowboys All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons shouted Walker out on X as well. “Number 11 for Georgia (fire emojis),” said Parsons. Walker is looking very similar to Parsons, who was very disruptive during his time at Penn State and has 41 1/2 sacks in four seasons in the NFL.

Walker’s performance has been a long time coming from one of the best blitzing linebackers on Georgia’s roster. This is the first game he has had a sack since Week 1 against Clemson, when he had 1 1/2 sacks.

Walker has generated a large number of pressures on the season, and he’s played with a ton of confidence and swagger this year. Last year, he led the team in sacks with five. This year is looking like another great season for him, which could lead him to joining Parsons as first-round NFL draft pick.

Wisconsin legends unhappy with Badgers play-calling in first quarter vs. Alabama

Thoughts on Wisconsin’s early play calling vs. Alabama?

A few Wisconsin legends are making their thoughts on Wisconsin’s play-calling in the first quarter against No. 4 Alabama known.

The Badgers have moved the ball well on the ground. However, the team’s first drive stalled after an injury to starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke. Backup QB Braedyn Locke entered and then attempted three consecutive passes, all of which fell incomplete. That led to a 53-yard field goal attempt.

Former Badger and current New York Jet running back Braelon Allen did not understand the sudden switch from the successful run, especially with a backup quarterback inserted into the game.

The bigger second-guess came on the next drive. Wisconsin drove the ball successfully and faced a fourth-and-1 on the Alabama 40-yard line. The Badgers ran the football, but out of shotgun. Alabama had little trouble stuffing running back Tawee Walker for a loss.

That process and result led to quite the reaction on X, one thought coming from program and NFL legend J.J. Watt:

Wisconsin trails Alabama 7-3 after one quarter of play.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Former Wisconsin football legend included in ESPN’s top 100 professional athletes since 2000

Former Wisconsin football legend included in ESPN’s top 100 professional athletes since 2000

Former Wisconsin Badgers football legend J.J. Watt was ranked No. 58 in ESPN’s latest list of the top 100 professional athletes since 2000.

The Pewaukee, Wisconsin native narrowly landed above former New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera (No. 59), three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker (No. 60) and 2018 NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis (No. 61).

Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson (No. 57), eight-time Liga F champion Alexia Putellas (No. 56) and Croatian soccer legend Luka Modrić (No. 55) were placed in Watt’s area as well.

After recently earning a spot on the NFL’s Mount Rushmore for the Houston Texans, Watt now joins an even more prestigious in ESPN’s recent ranking.

During his NFL career with the Texans and Arizona Cardinals, Watt pocketed five Pro Bowl appearances, five-time first-team All-Pro honors and three Defensive Player of the Year awards. He was also named a member of the Hall of Fame All-2010s Team and became the only player in NFL history with 20-plus sacks in more than one season (2012, 2014).

In three seasons at Wisconsin, Watt was named a Lott IMPACT Trophy winner, team MVP and consensus first-team All-Big Ten team member at defensive end. During his final campaign in Madison, Watt also led the Badgers in TFLs, sacks, quarterback hurries, forced fumbles and blocked kicks.

The future pro departed the collegiate scene third all-time in UW history with four career blocked kicks and tied for No. 6 in school history with 21.0 tackles for loss in a single season.

Wisconsin legend J.J. Watt is impressed by a Badger true freshman

Wisconsin legend J.J. Watt is impressed by a Badger true freshman

Wisconsin football’s annual ‘Squat Fest’ took place on Friday. The highly-publicized event had members of the media in attendance, who all shared social media clips of the impressive weightlifting feats.

One such clip came from BadgerExtra’s Jake Kocorowski. It is of true freshman running back Gideon Ituka easily squatting 545 pounds.

Related: Wisconsin’s all-time record against every Big Ten football team

The video mostly just circulated among Badgers fans on X. But Wisconsin legend and future NFL Hall of Fame defensive lineman J.J. Watt soon chimed in, impressed by the clip.

Ituka is a member of Wisconsin’s record-breaking class of 2024. He joins the program after being ranked as the No. 1,078 player in the class of 2025, No. 81 running back and No. 31 recruit from the state of Maryland.

The former three-star recruit was an early enrollee and has been on campus since January. Still, 545 on the squat rack is usually a number put up by a veteran player — or not put up at all.

Ituka is one of four running backs to join the program this offseason along with transfer Tawee Walker, and four-star recruits Dilin Jones and Darrion Dupree. The room looks to be loaded moving into the future, notably with players with different body types and running styles.

Early indications are that Ituka may be able to surpass his low-three-star recruiting ranking.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Pat McAfee and the incredibly named The Concafa SC are in for TST 2024

The ESPN host said he’s calling in some old friends to build his roster, which will be “stacked”

Pat McAfee has confirmed he is joining the growing field at the 2024 edition of The Soccer Tournament (TST).

The ESPN media personality announced the move on his show Wednesday during a segment with JJ Watt, who had only just confirmed his participation earlier in the day.

McAfee said he had “made some calls to some old friends” in building his team, which would be “stacked,” and that he’d be releasing the roster next week.

The ESPN host did confirm his team’s coach, which will be U.S. men’s national team legend Tony Meola.

And the name of that team? “The Concafa Soccer Club.”

The moniker originates from McAfee’s interview with Thierry Henry in February, during which the former NFL punter (deliberately?) butchers the name of Concacaf.

TST, a 7v7 tournament with a $1 million winner-take-all prize, will be held for the second time in 2024. Unlike last year, there will be separate tournaments for men and women, with each winning team taking home $1 million.

TST will be held at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC from June 5-10, with ESPN broadcasting select matches.

Watch McAfee confirm his TST entry

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JJ and Kealia Watt will both play for Burnley in TST 2024

Burnley’s high-profile co-owners are ready to test themselves on the field.

Burnley’s high-profile co-owners are ready to test themselves on the field.

JJ and Kealia Watt will both play for Burnley in the 2024 edition of The Soccer Tournament (TST), a 7v7 event with a $1 million winner-take-all prize.

Burnley will enter a team in both the men’s and women’s division of the tournament, with the NFL legend and the ex-NWSL star set to captain their respective sides.

“It’s really exciting for both Kealia and I to headline Burnley FC’s men’s and women’s teams at TST,” JJ Watt said in a statement. “We’ve called some friends and are planning on bringing the best teams we can to compete. We are both highly competitive individuals, so we’ll be giving it our all in claret and blue!”

The couple announced last May that they had become investors in Burnley.

Kealia Watt added: “We’re delighted to announce our involvement in TST. Having the opportunity to represent Burnley on the pitch and compete against clubs from around the globe will be incredibly special.

“I’m also looking forward to making history with the inaugural women’s Tournament. This is an important addition and I’m pleased to see TST’s commitment to an equal prize for the winning men’s and women’s teams. I’m looking forward to playing in the Burnley shirt and reuniting with some of my former teammates.”

This year’s TST will feature an eight-team women’s tournament and a 48-team men’s tournament, with the winner of each competition taking home $1 million.

Other notable figures confirmed to be involved in this year’s tournament include Sergio Agüero, Nani, Mario Balotelli, Ali Krieger, Heather O’Reilly and more.

TST will be held at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC from June 5-10, with ESPN broadcasting select matches.

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Wisconsin football legend reacts to NFL ban of hip-drop tackle

Wisconsin football legend reacts to NFL ban of hip-drop tackle

The NFL announced Monday that they have banned the hip-drop tackle after the motion passed unanimously with the Competition Committee. Former Wisconsin Badgers defensive lineman JJ Watt, isn’t a huge fan of the decision.

Throughout the years, the NFL has continued to emphasize players safety and Monday’s decision was another opportunity for them to feel like they’re doing just that.

On the flip side, there’s a perception that the rule changes that they continue to implement on the behalf safety, skew towards the offensive athletes. Over time, it’s become illegal to hit an offensive player above the head and neck (understandable), hitting a player with the crown of your helmet is outlawed (also understandable), landing on a quarterback with your full body weight isn’t allowed (often hard to gage) and even making contact with a QB below the knees will lead to a flag (often ticky-tack).

Watt’s frustrations on the hip-drop tackle ban will likely be echoed throughout the league and it’ll be interesting to see how the new rule is officiated in 2024.

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JJ Watt says NFL getting closer to flag football with recent rule change

Former Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is among those who aren’t with the NFL’s “hip drop” tackle ban.

NFL approved a ban on “swivel hip drop” tackles Monday, which would penalize defensive players for pulling offensive players to the ground with their bodies. While these tackles have resulted in some serious injuries, a lot of NFL players aren’t happy with the decision by the league, its owners and the competition committee.

Former Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt was among those to denounce the ban. He posted a message on social media that the NFL is trending toward becoming a flag football league.

“Just fast forward to the belts with flags on them …” Watt wrote.

Other players like Texans’ defensive back Lonnie Johnson Jr. called the rule change “BS” while Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Hollard wrote, “Breaking news: Tackling Banned.”

The NFL Players Association also denounced the decision. The NFLPA wrote in a statement Monday that “we cannot support a rule change that causes confusion for us as players, for coaches, for officials and especially, for fans” and asked the league to reconsider its stance on the rule change.

 

There were 230 tackles like the ones the league will ban, according to NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller. He added that 15 players missed time because of the tackle.

The biggest injury to come out of one of these tackles was to Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews. He suffered serious ankle injury that required surgery and forced Andrews to miss the next seven games before he could return in the AFC championship match. Andrews played just 18 snaps in that game.

 

Here is the full rule, per NFL.com:

It is a foul if a player uses the following technique to bring a runner to the ground:

(a) grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms; and

(b) unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee.

Penalty: For a Hip-Drop Tackle: Loss of 15 yards and an automatic first down.
Competition committee chairman Rich McKay disagreed with the idea that this new rule would have unintended consequences, such as making tackling harder for players.

“Because this isn’t the elimination of hip-drop, this is an elimination of a swivel technique that doesn’t get used very often. When it is used, it is incredibly injurious to the runner — the runner is purely defenseless,” McKay said. “I’ve heard defenders say before and I hear them — ‘Hey, you’re putting me in a really tough spot, you’re saying I can’t hit here and what do I do?’ My response has as always been, ‘Well, you can’t do that.’ That’s just because the guy you’re hitting is defenseless, has no way to protect himself. So, we’ve got to protect him.

“You’ve got to come up with other ways and you know what, they do. Yes, we outlawed the hip-drop, but what you may think are the drag-from-behind where he falls on the – that’s still a tackle. This is only that tackle where the player is lifting themselves in the air and then falling on the legs.”

McKay also acknowledged that it could be tough for referees to officiate in the first year.

“This will be a hard one to call on the field, you have to see every element of it,” he said. “We want to make it a rule so we can deal on the discipline during the week.”

WATCH: Nick Foles, Jalen Hurts among those congratulating Jason Kelce on retirement

Jalen Hurts, Nick Foles, Charles Barkley, Shaq, Jim Thome, and Joel Embiid were among those who congratulated Jason Kelce on retirement

Jason Kelce ended his 13-year NFL career on Monday, announcing his retirement in an emotional press conference that featured friends, family, and teammates.

The New Heights Podcast’s social media team released an emotional tribute video with Jalen Hurts and Nick Foles, among almost 20 video messages to Kelce to celebrate the moment and his accomplishments.

A sixth-round draft pick out of the University of Cincinnati in 2011, Kelce started and played in 193 games over his 13 seasons.

Jason Kelce is the fifth center in NFL history with at least six All-Pro selections. The other four — Jim Otto, Bulldog Turner, Dermotti Dawson, and Jim Ringo — are all in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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