Tag: Kealia Ohai

Texans legend J.J. Watt partnering to fight food insecurity in Houston

Former Houston Texans DE J.J. Watt is teaming up to fight food insecurity in the city of Houston.

J.J. Watt hasn’t exactly taken it easy since retiring.

The soon-to-be Houston Texans Ring of Honor inductee has been busy taking care of his son, Koa, alongside his wife Kealia Ohai Watt in addition to new ventures such as investing in the Burnley FC of the premier league. Despite the broad scope of these new, post-football activities, the Watts have not lost sight of Houston and how much it meant to them.

The Texans Wire was able to speak to the couple on Wednesday about their new partnership with Frito-Lay and Cheetos to help combat food insecurity in the community. According to Texas Children’s Hospital, there are 724,500 food insecure individuals in Harris County including 23.6% of children. This was an issue that spoke to both J.J. and Kealia.

“Food insecurity is a big issue in this country and certainly is here in Harris County,” Watt said. “What Frito is doing in putting these grab and go meal stations in school is giving kids an opportunity to get food, so that we can combat that.

“Then, also, we’re providing kids through GenYOUTH with flag football kits in school so that they can be active and get involved in the game. They can work on all the things like team work and discipline. Fritos, Cheetos, GenYOUTH, everyone is doing a great job and we’re excited to partner with them and play a little flag football.”

In addition to the partnership with Frito-Lay & Cheetos, the couple is hosting a flag football clinic for children in Houston with GenYOUTH. This national organization promotes healthy school communities by empowering students. Working in tandem with this organization represents another part of their efforts, as flag football kits are being donated to schools to promote a healthy lifestyle.

“It’s obviously a bunch of kids from the community and we’re gonna play some flag football and enjoy some Frito products,” Watt continued. We’re going to just have a good day. We’re back here in Houston, we’re excited to be back in Houston, we love it here and are excited to see kids in the community.”

This wasn’t a previous partnership of Watt’s from his time with the Houston Texans. However, the issue and the opportunity to make an impact spoke to him as an additional chance to help the community that watched him transform into an NFL star.

“This is new,” Watt explained. “Frito was talking to us about what they want to do to help combat food insecurity and we’re excited to be on board.”

The event today will feature the Watt’s coaching against each other and spending time with children at the event. The duo weren’t shy about how excited and competitive they were ready to be regarding the upcoming game.

“We’re going to have a little flag football,” Watt said. “I’m not 100% sure but I’m kind of hoping Kealia coaches one team and I coach the other… winner wakes up early with Koa tomorrow morning and the other gets to sleep.”

Kealia commented afterward that, despite believing in her own coaching advantage, she just hopes it doesn’t end with “a big fight on the field.”

Regardless of the couple matchup, the ultimate winner looks to be the city of Houston and how drafting Watt continues to pay dividends to the community over a decade later. Fans will be able to welcome Watt back to the city in October when the Houston Texans face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers and retire Watt’s jersey at halftime.

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J.J. Watt and wife Kealia Ohai Watt reveal baby is on the way

J.J. Watt and wife Kealia Ohai Watt announced she is pregnant

This must be the week for baby announcements from the families of NFL mega-stars and their wives.

First, Patrick and Brittany Mahomes shared their second child was on the way.

And on Thursday, Arizona Cardinals great defensive end J.J. Watt and his wife, Kealia Ohai Watt, revealed the soccer star is pregnant.

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J.J. Watt shared a 7-year-old Twitter moment he had with Kealia Ohai Watt, and it’s so sweet

This is the cutest.

Sometimes, Twitter is a good thing and creates delightful, heartwarming interactions. The latest example of that is brought to you by J.J. Watt and Kealia Ohai Watt, but it’s a throwback moment from seven years ago.

Back in 2014 during the National Women’s Soccer League draft, the Houston Dash drafted Kealia out of UNC with the No. 2 overall pick. She was the then-expansion team’s first draft pick, and NFL tight end J.J. — who was playing for the Houston Texans at the time — tweeted at her, welcoming her to the city.

Most people likely forgot about this simple interaction from so many years ago, and that appears to be true for J.J.

In 2019, J.J. and Kealia got engaged, and they were married in February of 2020. As a major sports power couple, their quick 7-year-old Twitter moment is so sweet and wholesome, as one Twitter user pointed out in the replies, which caught the tight end’s attention.

In 2014, J.J. tweeted:

“Welcome to Houston @KealiaOhai! Great start for the new Dash franchise. #TeamHouston”

And Kealia responded:

@JJWatt thanks JJ! Excited to play in one of the best cities in the world

Of course, neither of them are in Houston anymore with J.J. now with the Arizona Cardinals, while Kealia plays for the Chicago Red Stars. But it’s so sweet to see this brief interaction and knowing how their story ends.

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WATCH: Texans DE J.J. Watt gets his 2nd sack against the Ravens

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt was able to land his second sack of the game against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2 at NRG Stadium.

Maybe it really is 2014-15 for J.J. Watt.

The Houston Texans defensive end scored his second sack of the game when he took down Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson with 2:00 to go in the second quarter.

Watt’s sack made for his 26th career game with two or more sacks in a game, and the effort was good enough to impress his wife.

Good job, J.J. Way to make the Mrs. happy.

Texans fans are hoping for more happiness as the Ravens lead Houston 20-10 at halftime at NRG Stadium. If Watt adds more sacks, it could be a Texans win.

This is a developing story.

How is Texans DE J.J. Watt handling the COVID-19 pandemic?

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt says he is like everybody else in the way that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected his daily routine.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the lives of almost everyone on the planet, and NFL superstars such as the Houston Texans’ J.J. Watt is no exception.

The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year met with Houston reporters via video conferencing on Wednesday, and Watt said he is trying to “wade through” the information like everyone else.

However, the defensive end does need to get ready for his 10th season in the league, so certain aspects of his routine have continued.

“For me personally, I go to the gym, and the gym is obviously fully wiped down and there’s protocols in place and you’re not close to anybody, things like that,” Watt said. “But other than that, I don’t really leave my house a whole lot.”

Occasionally, Watt will leave his home to pick up food, but with his wife, Kealia Ohai, preparing for a possible tournament style season with the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League, the 31-year-old is home alone with the dogs.

“It’s just me and the dogs down here in Houston,” Watt said. “They love that because I throw the tennis ball 650 times an hour and when I’m not training that’s literally all I do.”

The pandemic has disrupted appointments, routines, and other staples that make time pass on a daily and weekly basis. A new part of Watt’s schedule has been his “Ultimate Tag” show, which he shot over the 2019 summer and co-hosted with his brothers, Derek Watt and T.J. Watt, both of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“I think the best part about it is I get to share it with my brothers, and parents got to be out there for filming last year,” Watt said. “We had a lot of fun with it and it’s a foray into a foreign situation for us, and for it to have success in its premier [May 20], we were just very thankful to all the fans and we’re glad they like it.”

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Report: Texans DE J.J. Watt, Chicago Red Stars’ Kealia Ohai donate $350,000 to Houston Food Bank

Houston Texans DE J.J. Watt and the Chicago Red Stars’ Kealia Ohai donated $350,000 to the Houston Food Bank, which will provide over a million meals.

When the Houston Texans needed to beef up their edge defense for the playoffs, defensive end J.J. Watt was there.

When the greater Houston area needed a response to address potential food shortages due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Watt and wife Kealia Ohai teamed up to donate $350,000 to the Houston Food Bank.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and his National Women’s Soccer League star spouse donated enough funds that the Houston Food Bank will be able to provide over one million meals.

For Watt, giving back to the city of Houston is part of his legacy. The former 2011 first-round pick from Wisconsin won the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for raising over $37 million to help with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts in August of 2017.

Now, Watt’s giving is partnered with Ohai, who used to play for the Houston Dash before being traded to the Chicago Stars.

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Who inspires Texans DE J.J. Watt?

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt shared with Twitter on International Women’s Day just the person that continually inspires and amazes him.

Where does a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and presumptive first ballot Hall-of-Famer find his inspiration? Sometimes, the inspiration isn’t too far away.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt took to Twitter on Sunday to share with the world on International Women’s Day that his wife, Kealia Ohai of the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League, is a source of inspiration.

According to Watt on Jan. 8, he and Ohai watch his game film, sometimes that night after the Texans have already played.

“It’s funny, so like, we don’t necessarily break down film, but we’ll be sitting on the couch like after a game, like after the [AFC wild-card versus the Buffalo Bills] and she’ll be like, ‘What’s on TV?’

“I’ll be flipping through the channels and she’s like, ‘Isn’t there a game on?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, but you just watched my…,’ and she’s like ‘Turn it on.’ She wants to watch. She loves watching it, she loves talking about it, she knows everything about the whole league.”

Of course, Watt admires soccer and thus Ohai’s games.

“I don’t tell her what to do, because that’s — A, I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about and B, I get yelled at,” said Watt. “But I love watching it. We love talking about and there’s nothing better than obviously having an athlete who understands.”

Watt and Ohai got married over the Valentine’s Day weekend in 2020. Ohai was actually traded from the Houston Dash to the Red Stars on Jan. 6.

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See the sweet tweet and pics as NFL star JJ Watt marries pro soccer star

See the sweet tweet and pics as NFL star JJ Watt marries pro soccer star.

It’s been a great start to 2020 for Houston Texans star JJ Watt.

Yeah, so he didn’t get to play in the Super Bowl, but he hosted “Saturday Night Live” on Super Bowl Eve and he got married to women’s pro soccer star Kealia Ohai on Saturday in the Bahamas.

Not bad.

In fact, Watt tweeted:

It has been a very busy few weeks for the Watt family as reported here.

Good on ya, JJ.

(Small side note: Ohai’s father was one of my high school teachers and football coaches and one of the genuine nice guys, so what the heck, huh? Hi, Ben. Congrats to you and your family!)

Texans DE J.J. Watt marries Chicago Red Stars’ Kealia Ohai

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt tied the knot with the Chicago Red Stars’ Kealia Ohai over the weekend.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is officially off the market.

The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year married Chicago Red Stars forward Kealia Ohai over the weekend, sealing their covenant in holy matrimony.

Ohai and Watt got engaged over the 2019 offseason.

Per Watt’s answer to a question SB Nation Radio’s Jake Asman asked on June 11, 2019, there was an open bar at the reception.

“It’s open bar for everybody,” Watt said. “It’s the only way to make a good wedding.”

Open bar or not, the reception was very festive.

As to the logistics of how the Watts will lead a life of each spouse playing pro sports in separate cities, it shouldn’t be too difficult. The Red Stars play their season from late March through early September, which crosses over with the start of the Texans’ regular season. If anything, they will have to live in Chicago in the Texans’ offseason and in Houston during the Texans’ regular season.

Texans’ J.J. Watt is very excited for fiancée Kealia Ohai following her trade to Chicago

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt reacts to the trade of his fiancée Kealia Ohai from the Houston Dash to the Chicago Red Stars.

J.J. Watt won’t get the advantage of a short drive to watch Kealia Ohai play in the NWSL anymore. The fiancée of the Houston Texans defensive end was traded from the Houston Dash to the Chicago Red Stars on Jan. 6.

Watt isn’t torn on the news. He is elated for Ohai, as the trade gives her a better opportunity on the pitch.

“I’m extremely excited for her,” Watt said. “It’s a great situation. Chicago is a great team. They have a ton of great players, a great coach, and it’s a great organization. So, I’m really, really excited for her to get up there and to be able to play and watch her grow and succeed as a player. It’s also a great city, so I’m excited to be able to spend some time there.”

Watt wants the best for Ohai on the pitch. If a trade to Chicago is the answer, so be it. He will still go to the games and it is closer to his hometown of Pewaukee, Wis.

“It’s close to my hometown, so I’ll be up there spending some time as well,” Watt said. “The time apart will be difficult, obviously.”

Though they now will have a long distance relationship, Watt gave Ohai advice about what to do.

Said Watt: “I said, ‘You only get so many years to play your sport. For me, football, for her, soccer. You only get so many years to do it. We have the rest of our lives to spend together. I want you to take every advantage you possibly can to make your soccer career as great as you possibly can because you can’t do it forever.

So, whatever you have to do, if we have to fly, we have to travel, we have to do whatever it is. Do what you can possibly do now to make your soccer career as great as possible, because you’re going to create memories that will last a lifetime and then we can talk about him for the rest of our life.’”

Though Ohai is now a Red Star, she will still be the grand marshal for Houston’s Downtown Rodeo Parade, on Feb. 29, at 10:00 a.m.

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