J.J. Watt may not be a Texan anymore, but he continues to stand for Houston.
Earlier this week, Jennifer Simpson, an NFL fan and teacher from Texas took to Twitter to sell some of Watt’s merchandise to help cover the costs for her grandfather’s funeral. Simpson and her family have been unable to bury her grandfather for nearly a month, so she turned to Twitter hoping to sell a pair of Watt’s Reebok sneakers. However what she got instead was an emotional reaction from Watts himself.
“I have a pair of @JJWatt womens edition of Reebok shoes size 9 $60. I’ve worn them twice. They are great shoes, im only selling because we are raising money for my grandpas funeral. I also have a Watt womens XL Texans Jersey $30. Anyone interested?” Simpson tweeted.
The tweet garnered more than 200 replies and one of them was from the Arizona Cardinals defensive end. “Don’t sell your shoes and jersey, we’ll help with the funeral,” Watt wrote.
But the story doesn’t end there. Watt’s act of kindness prompted so much more. There was even a response from “The Real” talk show host and comedian Loni Love. “I’m with JJ.. I’ll help.. Is there a go fund me?” Love tweeted.
Watt spent ten years with the Texans and is one of the greatest players in franchise history. Beyond his contributions on the field, the 33-year-old made just as big an impact off the field through his charitable initiatives in the Houston region. The football player previously offered to cover the funeral costs for all the victims of the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy in November. In 2017, he was named Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year for raising more than $40 million for relief efforts after Hurricane Harvey.
