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Hall of Fame
Ex-Badger Watt sticking with what has worked June 19, 2011
By BRANDON CRUZ
FOX Sports Wisconsin
By BRANDON CRUZ
FOX Sports Wisconsin
WAUKESHA, Wis. Day after day, former University of Wisconsin defensive end J.J. Watt hopes the NFL lockout will end so he can start playing football again.
It is his passion and soon to be his profession. But because the lockout doesnt seem anywhere near over, the Houston Texans' first-round draft choice is doing what he always has done: working hard and sticking to a regimen that will prepare him for his next step.
Watts work ethic and desire to succeed have been there ever since trainer Brad Arnett met Watt when Watt was sophomore at Pewaukee High School.
"At the beginning, J.J. and I used to meet here at 6 o'clock in the morning, three days a week," Arnett said at his NX Level gym in Waukesha. "School may have been canceled because there was a snowstorm. He'd still call me and say, 'I'm coming; I'll be there,' and we'd meet here."
From there, Watt and Arnett formed a partnership and a friendship that has continued to grow through the years.
"He's been a mentor for me," Watt said as he was preparing for a recent workout at NX Level, which has become a hot spot for budding professional athletes from all over the country.
The relationship progressed quickly, mainly because of the maturity and attitude Watt showed while working toward his goals.
"There's been a lot of times that J.J. and I have sat down and had talks about stuff, Arnett said. Maybe his attitude wasn't right, or I didn't think he gave me the right work ethic, and I let him know. But you know what? He's a kid that always responded with a, 'Yes sir,' and a, 'No sir.' You never had to tell him something twice. It was always there."
Even now, with an NFL career about to begin, the same effort and disposition keeps Watt coming to NX Level regularly. He is using the same developmental model that has helped others, such as former Badgers linebacker DeAndre Levy (Detroit Lions) and safety Chris Maragos (San Francisco 49ers), succeed in the NFL.
"This place is amazing, just like Brad, said Watt, the 11th overall draft choice last April. He's got this world-class facility here that, obviously, has these guys coming in here and training. I'm in here three times a week."
In 2005, Arnett opened NX Level Sports Performance with a business partner. Since then, more than 200 athletes who have trained at NX Level have gone on to play major college and professional athletics.
Former USC offensive tackle Tyron Smith (the ninth pick in the 2011 draft by the Dallas Cowboys), former Baylor guard Danny Watkins (23rd overall, Philadelphia Eagles), Kansas City Chiefs guard Jon Asamoah, former USC center Kristofer O'Dowd and former Badgers and Detroit Lions running back Brian Calhoun are working out at Arnetts gym.
"You talk to a lot of agents, and you always fight this, 'Well, you're not in the Sun Belt,' " Arnett said, laughing. "I'm like, Are your kids going to get ready for being in the NFL by being in the sun? Or are they going to get the proper training? That's what it ultimately comes down to. If the kid's got to put on a parka and walk from the car to a heated building, we do have heat here. He'll be OK."
Watt, 22, doesnt need the sun to get his work done.
"We may not have the beaches or the pretty girls, he said. But we've got a great place to train, and I guess that's why guys from Southern Cal are coming 2,000 miles to be here. Brad helps us with our diet, nutrition, conditioning, everything, just so we're ready for football when camps open up."
Arnett believes having NFL veterans around is part of setting an example for the younger players, like Watt, who are trying to succeed at that level.
"They're all going through the same progressions, Arnett said. They all follow on that same developmental model.
They can look over and see someone that's there. Or look over at DeAndre Levy, that's in the league, working out. Or like Brian Calhoun that was here. A lot of the guys that have come in and been there, done that. It's a huge boost for them to see that stuff."
In addition to working out in Waukesha, Watt has also spent some time in Houston with his future Texans teammates.
"I've been in touch with 30 or 35 guys as they've reached out, he said. They've gone over the playbook and what the coaches want. Also, they're helping me with everything like how to deal with the traffic, places to live, restaurants. They've been great.
Watt will continue to train at NX Level while he is still living in Wisconsin. But he will move to Houston sometime in July so he will be ready for camp the moment it opens up.
"I want to be ready. I don't want to have to rush down there when things start, he said. This way, I'll be settled and ready to focus on football."
Arnett's model will have the players training under him in football shape by July.
"As we get further into the calendar, we start to turn the gas up a little bit more, a little bit more, a little bit more, so by the time we think it's going to be done and they get in there, hopefully, our calendar was right and they're prepared," Arnett said.
The Texans will not have to be concerned about their first-round pick's readiness. All Watt thinks about is getting his career started.
"Football's what I signed up for, and I just want to play." Watt said.
