Texans' J.J. Watt 'feels good' as he works way toward football activities
Limited to 3 games last season, Watt 'feels good' as he works his way back toward football activities
April 18, 2017
J.J. Watt alternated between lighthearted NBA talk and the serious matter of getting back to the NFL.
Standing at a podium Monday and wearing a red T-shirt as the Texans launched their offseason conditioning program, J.J. Watt struck a confident, humorous tone.
The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year poked fun at his struggles to don an extra-small Rockets T-shirt Sunday night during a playoff win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, quipping: "That's the offseason plan. Not to get bigger, just to get smaller shirts."
The defensive end doled out heavy praise for the game of Rockets guard Pat Beverley but turned more serious when the topic of the most-discussed back injury in the NFL was broached.
Watt underwent a pair of microdiscectomy surgeries last season to repair the same herniated disk on the heels of undergoing another procedure last offseason to address several core muscles. He spent the majority of last season on injured reserve, playing just three games, in which he was limited to eight tackles and 11/2 sacks.
"I feel very good," Watt said. "Obviously, it's a long offseason, and there's plenty of time to continue to improve and grow. I think that everybody has done a great job. My body feels really good.
"I'm really looking forward to this whole offseason process and getting back to just playing football. I just want to play football. I can't wait to get back out there and play some ball."
Watt disclosed during the Super Bowl that he has been cleared for all physical activities. He continues to make steady progress as he works his way back into football activities at some point. Watt and the Texans are expected to be cautious and monitor his back closely. He acknowledged previously that he probably overdid his exercise and rehab regimen last year and should have allowed himself more time to heal.
"I've had time for the passion to grow and for the fire to keep burning bigger and bigger," Watt said. "It's going to be a lot of fun. But I've also learned a lot over that time where I need to make sure that I balance myself and not get overly crazy in the offseason and things like that."
Making adjustments
Watt's work ethic is legendary, and his workouts are extremely intense. He's making adjustments, though, to account for the stress his back has endured.
"Part of you wants to hold on to what you did in the past and be like, 'This is what I did to get here. I want to continue doing that,' " Watt said. "But as you get through it and you grow and you learn, you really … I mean, I had a lot of time, so I dove into the research behind everything and understanding how you can do certain things without putting yourself at risk.
"So I've grown as a person. I've learned a lot. I've really talked with so many people, and we've kind of created a program and a plan where I can get the results I want without necessarily putting myself at risk in those situations. It's been good."
It is obvious Watt has regained the muscle mass and tone he lost during his convalescence last season. His 6-5 frame looks like it's carrying at least the 295 pounds he's routinely listed at on the Texans' roster.
Watt has come a long way since aggravating the injury last season and being a shell of his usual robust self during a shutout loss to the New England Patriots in which he spent a lot of time on the ground despite drawing only single-blocker attention. With 76 sacks in six NFL seasons, the Wisconsin native expressed a strong belief that he's going to be ready and will regain his old Pro Bowl form.
"You can never fake confidence," Watt said. "You can't BS yourself into thinking that you're good enough when you know for a fact you didn't put in the work and didn't put in the time. For me, it all comes down to making sure that I put in that time and making sure that I put in that effort so that when I step on that field, I know for a fact that I can step out there confident and strong and I can go out there and dominate because I put in the work.
"There's nothing to be worried about when you put in the work. The only time you have to be nervous or anxious for a game is when you didn't put in the work and you're just hoping you're good enough. That's not a situation I ever want to be in."
True to his trademark competitive nature, Watt is keeping track of every whisper, question and doubt about whether he'll ever be the same again. He's paying close attention to those wondering about his recent durability issues after not having any problem staying on the field in his first five NFL seasons.
'Heard them all'
"I see them all, I know them all, I've heard them all," Watt said. "You hear doubters. You hear everything. I've heard everything from you get constantly injured and things like that. This is the first games I've ever missed this last season. It's not like I've been hurt every single year. It's not like it's been some over and over and over again thing.
"It was a very serious last year for me. It was a very tough year for me, but the only way I'll ever be truly the player that I want to get back out there and be for my teammates and for these fans is to go out there and be confident and to work my (butt) off every single day and to just be who I know I can be. If something happens, it happens. I'm going to give it everything I have. I feel great, and I'm very much looking forward to it."