WATCH: 'Thankful' J.J. Watt Inducted Into Texans' Ring of Honor
HOUSTON — The Houston Texans won their first home game since December 2021 by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6, Sunday afternoon at NRG Stadium.
Although he did not take the field as one of the active 53 players, J.J. Watt played a role in the Texans' victory. Will Anderson Jr. revealed that Watt gave a motivational speech on Friday, and his words resonated with the team.
"J.J. has been a good mentor for me so far," Anderson said. "He said a lot of powerful words, and I think it stuck with the team a lot. Just [saying], ‘Don't take anything for granted. You're here in the NFL.’ Not a lot of people can say that, and I think that resonated with a lot of the guys."
Watt returned to NRG Stadium as the third enshrinement of the Texans' Ring of Honor — joining Andre Johnson and the late-great Bob McNair. His induction completed the trinity of Texan legends who established the franchise's foundation amid its 21st season.
He celebrated his induction with several family members in attendance. His enshrinement fell on his mother's birthday, while his brother T.J. Watt finished the game with two tackles and no sacks for the Steelers.
The Texans will add more names to the Ring of Honor as time passes. But unless a player brings a Super Bowl title to Houston, it will be difficult for any individual to surpass Watt's legacy.
"This has been an incredible weekend," Watt said. "It feels like I'm at a family reunion. This feels like home. The fans have been great. The McNairs have been great. The whole organization has been great. I am just thankful."
Watt was the 11th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and spent a decade in Houston. He is a perennial first-ballot Hall-of-Famer and one of the top defensive linemen in league history.
A three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner, five Pro Bowl selections and five First-Team All-Pro honors in 128 games with the Texans — Watt ranks 24th in league history with 114.5 career sacks.
During his decade-long tenure, Watt became the first player in franchise history to reach 100.0 career sacks (101.0). Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees received the unfortunate honor of becoming Watt's first sack during his rookie campaign.
"Credit to J.J., his career and what he has done," coach DeMeco Ryans said. "Excited for him. A huge honor for his name to go up in the rafters of the stadium. It's got to be an inspiration to a lot of people when they look up and see his name.
"It's well-deserved. J.J., great man, great player. Just an inspiration to many. Congratulations to J.J. He definitely deserves it, and it was great seeing all the former guys here today rooting us on."
Texans player J.J. Watt waves while fans cheer after Watt is inducted into the Texans Ring of Honor during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at NRG Stadium.
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
His leadership and passion for the game were unpaired. And when Watt took to the field, the Texans had a handful of their most successful campaigns in team history.
Watt led the Texans to four double-digit win seasons (2011, 2012, 2018 and 2019). Houston's best came in 2012 when the Texans set a franchise record of 12 wins.
Watt dominated the league by recording 20.5 sacks, 81 tackles and 43 quarterback hits in 16 games. Houston's success led to Watt receiving his first DPOY award. But Watt's best season came two years later.
In 2014, the Texans finished with a 9-7 record. En route to his second DPOY award, Watt tied his career-high after registering 20.5 sacks for the second time. He also lined up at tight end on the offensive side of the ball, where he recorded three touchdowns.
When the Texans made Watt their top overall selection in 2011, fans greeted the Wisconsin native with boos. Twelve years later, their boos turned to cheers as fans illustrated their admiration for Watt.
With Anderson contributing to the win, the Texans recorded their second consecutive victory after having their best defensive performance of the season. An appropriate fit to welcome Watt into the Ring of Honor.
"Honestly, it's a privilege and a blessing to have someone like J.J. to communicate with and help out," Anderson said. "What he has done in the league, what he has done for the Houston Texans is unbelievable."
