Outside linebacker T.J. Watt was recently named the team MVP for the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is his second consecutive season being nominated for the award by his teammates.
Prior to being drafted by the Steelers, Watt played college football at Wisconsin.
Watt played just two seasons for the Badgers. He redshirted his freshman season and was unable to play as a sophomore due to injury.
The Steelers drafted Watt with the 30th overall pick in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin has had confidence in Watt ever since he became a Pittsburgh Steeler.
“T.J.’s visiting from another planet to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin said during a press conference. “He has freakishly unique talent coupled with freakishly unique work habits and mindset and it produces what you guys witness every week, which, in my opinion, is defensive player of the year quality.”
Last week, Watt was nominated by his teammates and named the team MVP for the second straight season.
“This award is very important to me because it’s the people that see me on a regular basis and see the work that I put in, not only on the field but off the field,” Watt said in a press conference.
Watt finished the 2020 regular season leading the league in sacks (15), tackles for loss (23) and quarterback hits (41).
Along with his impressive 2020 statistics, Watt has broken several franchise records.
Watt was just two sacks away from beating James Harrison‘s single-season sack record (16), a record he most likely would have broken if Watt had not sat out of Sunday’s game against the Browns.
As the season comes to a close, talk of who will be this year’s Defensive Player of the Year has begun. Many believe Watt could be the winner of this award for the 2020 season.
Another candidate up for nomination is Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald. Donald was named the Defensive Player of the Year in both 2017 and 2018.
Statistically, Watt would be the favorite to win over Donald if they end up being the final two candidates.
If Watt wins Defensive Player of the Year, his family would be the first in NFL history to have two members win the award. Knowing that his brother J.J. has won the award three times only makes T.J. more determined to do the same.
“I’ve been to that award show three, four times including [J.J.’s] man of the year award,” Watt said. “I tell people every time that I went I would always leave more motivated than when I walked in the building. It’s so special to go to that night.”
It would also be the eighth time a Steelers player won the award, which is the most of any team. The Ravens and the Giants each have claimed four of these titles, making them the next-closest teams.
Featured Image Courtesy of The Athletic.
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