Steelers LB T.J. Watt ‘can’t wait’ to get out of brother’s shadow

[squidkid]

are you suggesting he is the....

#STEALOFTHEDRAFT

I mean, if you think he is all that AND we got him at 30?

Just sayin'

nope, i leave that moniker to the 'real' fans.

[NorthCoast]

J.J. Watt thinks T.J. Watt is better than he was at the same stage

Darin Gantt
3 weeks ago

J.J. Watt was a bit of a late bloomer, but has turned out pretty well. He thinks his little brother could be even better.


The Texans defensive end said he thinks younger brother T.J. Watt is better at football at the same stage he entered the league, which could make for an interesting draft night for the Wisconsin outside linebacker.

“He’s so similar to me but he’s farther along than I was at that point in the process,” J.J. said, via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “He’s a lot better player than I was at that time. He has a lot more to grow even than I had. I think he’s a really special player and it’s been a lot of fun to watch him go through the process.

“He’s so hungry. He’s just itching to learn and grow as a person and as a player so he is always asking questions, he’s always wanting to compete in the workouts.”

Of course, J.J. has won three defensive player of the year awards and takes great pride in his preparation, so that’s a significant compliment of any player, even a little brother.

But T.J. has an impressive resume of his own, and has had a busy spring. He’s visited the Cowboys, Broncos and Washington, and had private workouts with the 49ers, Dolphins and Saints.

Between an impressive combine performance and an 11.5-sack season at Wisconsin, T.J. could end up a first-round pick. And if he’s more prepared for the NFL than his brother was, his future team will be happy with the pick.

Nice of brother to say that, but TJ's body of work in college at his position is sorely incomplete. Really hoping Harrison can help accelerate his learning curve so he can get on the field for at least half the season. Tomlin was very deliberate in limiting Harrison through the first half of the season so he was a beast late but will they have that luxury this year?

[SteelCrazy]

are you suggesting he is the....

#STEALOFTHEDRAFT

I mean, if you think he is all that AND we got him at 30?

Just sayin'

If he outperforms OLBs picked ahead if him then he was definitely a bargain at 30, not sure he's a steal

[Starlifter]

who knows how a draft pick will turn out - but the pedigree and intangibles certainly tend to favor an upside. if he has the work ethic plus the same natural talent, this could well end up being the pick everyone is saying - how did he last till #30?

[RuthlessBurgher]

Nice of brother to say that, but TJ's body of work in college at his position is sorely incomplete. Really hoping Harrison can help accelerate his learning curve so he can get on the field for at least half the season. Tomlin was very deliberate in limiting Harrison through the first half of the season so he was a beast late but will they have that luxury this year?

J.J. Watt started 2 seasons at Wisconsin and had 11.5 sacks.

T.J. Watt started 1 season at Wisconsin and had 11.5 sacks.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Steelers don’t think T.J. Watt has to live up to his brother’s name
Posted by Michael David Smith on May 11, 2017, 8:38 AM EDT

The Steelers selected J.J. Watt’s little brother in the first round of this year’s draft, and the sooner he stops being known as J.J. Watt’s little brother, the better.

Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert said today on PFT Live that T.J. Watt was drafted to be his own player, and that while the Steelers see it as a positive that he trains in the offseason with one of the best players in the NFL, they drafted him to be T.J., not J.J.

“They do share that same work ethic, that’s nothing but a positive,” Colbert said of the Watt family. “But make no mistake, T.J., I mean, he’s proud of his name, he loves his brothers, but he wants to be known more as T.J. than he does as a Watt. We’re aware of it, we appreciate it, we respect where he’s from, but he and us are eager to see him make his own name.”

It would be virtually impossible for T.J. to become as good a player as his big brother, but the Steelers aren’t setting expectations nearly that high. They just want another good Watt in the NFL.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/05/11/steelers-dont-think-t-j-watt-has-to-live-up-to-his-brothers-name/

[Northern_Blitz]

J.J. Watt wants to line up against his brother T.J. during Christmas matchup



J.J. Watt has requested to line up at fullback in the Texans' Christmas matchup with the Steelers so he can go head-to-head with little brother T.J. Bob Levey/Getty Images6:11 PM MT

• ESPN.com

Leave it to J.J. Watt (http://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/13979) to request to line up at fullback once or twice against the Pittsburgh Steelers (http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/pit/pittsburgh-steelers) on Christmas so that he can go head-to-head with his little brother T.J. Watt. (http://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3045282/tj-watt)
According to Steelers.com, (http://www.steelers.com/videos/videos/Face-Time-with-Butler/a0462875-9263-43b1-9e5d-53622782ab05) T.J.'s new defensive coordinator, Keith Butler, said J.J. already requested to line up against his brother on a couple of plays.
"[J.J.] is hoping he can play fullback once or twice when we play them this year so he can try to run over his brother," Butler said in an interview with Steelers.com.
This isn't exactly coming out of left field for J.J., who has lined up on offense several times for the Houston Texans (http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/hou/houston-texans) and has three career touchdown passes.
However, the odds remain slim that the Texans will put the No. 1 defensive player in the league on offense just so he can run down his brother. But in the immortal words of Jim Carey in Dumb and Dumber, "You are telling me there is a chance?"
Let's hope we hit the lottery. Nothing like watching some brotherly competition on Christmas Day.
-- Courtney Schellin

I doubt that will happen. If there's a FB on the field, we should be playing 92 (not TJ).

My guess is that TJ only gets time on passing downs, maybe exclusively in a single package so that he doesn't have to learn everything in yr 1. Worked when they did it for Woodley.