Anyone who has younger siblings knows that no matter how much you fought during your youth, it’s always a treat to see them succeed. Friday night, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie outside linebacker T.J. Watt made his pro debut, and he was spectacular (watch here).
Not surprisingly, his older brother and NFL superstar, J.J. Watt, gave him a shout out on Twitter to let him know he took notice.
Then on Saturday, the elder Watt brother elaborated on what it felt like to see T.J. succeed.
J.J. Watt on T.J. Watt 'I'm very proud of him.'
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 12, 2017
J.J. Watt on T.J. Watt's two sacks 'It's awesome. He's a great football player'
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 12, 2017
That brings warmth to this scribe’s heart.
T.J. Watt has followed in his brother’s footsteps in recent years. A former tight end, he converted to linebacker a couple years back at Wisconsin. It’s almost exactly the same transition J.J. made. He was a tight end at Central Michigan in 2007. Then he transferred to Wisconsin and dominated as a defensive lineman his final two years in college.
Interestingly, if both brothers can stay healthy, then they’ll be competing for a win on Christmas Day this December. The Houston Texans will host the Steelers on Dec. 25, which will be nationally televised. And it’s not exactly crazy to think this game will have some serious postseason implications, to boot.