JJ Watt says he wasn't mocking Vikings great Jared Allen
When J.J. Watt bullied his way through Ed Ingram, sacked Kirk Cousins and celebrated with Jared Allen's famous calf-roping routine, he did so in honor of Allen, not to mock him.
Watt went out of his way to clear up any confusion on the matter after the Vikings beat the Cardinals 34-26 Sunday in Minneapolis. Allen was inducted into the Vikings' Ring of Honor during a halftime, with Allen living up to his identity by entering the field on a horse similar to the way he announced his retirement in 2016 by riding into the sunset on horseback.
"I also want to clear up – clearly the fans here misinterpreted my Jared Allen tribute," Watt said. "Jared Allen's one of my favorite players of all time, and that was absolutely a way to honor him on his night here. Zero disrespect. I would never disrespect him. I have a lot of respect for Jared Allen, so I hope that clears that up."
"He's one of the best of all time," Watt continued. "He's a great player. I loved watching him. I met him a couple of times. I have a massive amount of respect for him. So, it was great to see him going into their Ring of Honor, very well-deserved. And I hope he took it as a tribute and understood that it was a sign of respect."
Watt wasn't the only player to use the roping-a-calf celebration on Sunday. Vikings linebacker Za'Darius Smith did it after his first of three sacks on the day.
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