J.J. Watt stood six feet five in graduation regalia, towering over the University of Wisconsin-Madison podium in 2019. The man they called “a beast on the field and a saint off” was about to drop some serious truth bombs on the graduating class. His speech would reveal the brutal sacrifices behind his NFL success story. Watt’s comments hit different — no lengthy captions or flashy announcements, just pure raw emotion. The defensive end has always been genuine about life’s biggest moments, staying grateful even when everything’s going perfect.

“When I came here as a walk-on, it was my dream to play for Wisconsin. I left a scholarship. I left a starting position because I have a dream and I want to go for that dream,” Watt shared this Wednesday, resharing Wisconsin football’s post. The defensive end had walked away from Central Michigan’s full ride to chase something bigger at his dream school. That decision meant swallowing his pride and facing his parents with some brutal honesty about money.

“When I left high school, I had told my parents, don’t worry, I got college paid for. I got a full scholarship at Central Michigan. I’m going to go there. Life’s going to be great. But then I had to come back and tell them, psych, you got to pay for it. So I put my own back against the wall.” The conversation with his folks wasn’t pretty, but Watt knew he had to bet on himself. He’d rather fail chasing his real dream than succeed settling for less than what fired him up inside.

At Wisconsin, Watt wasn’t just another player — he was scrubbing stadium seats and power washing floors to make ends meet. The walk-on grinded through maintenance work while dreaming of running out in a Badgers jersey on game day. Coach Charlie Partridge became his lifeline, reviewing film with him late into the night and teaching him how to play defensive line properly. Those late-night sessions transformed a hopeful walk-on into a future NFL superstar.

But even NFL stardom couldn’t shield Watt from life’s brutal reality checks. During his 2019 commencement speech, he opened up about his darkest moments — at home recovering from back surgery, then breaking his leg, while trying to help his girlfriend through her own ACL recovery. The injuries had stacked up like a nightmare, testing everything he thought he knew about toughness. “I remember specifically sitting at my kitchen one day, I broke down and I cried. I was devastated. I was in tears and I just let them flow,” he told the packed stadium. That breakdown taught him that even the toughest guys need help sometimes.

The admission hit different coming from someone who’d spent years demolishing quarterbacks and earning three Defensive Player of the Year awards. “And that’s the day that I learned that no matter how big you are, no matter how strong you are, no matter how tough you may be, everybody needs to ask for help. At some point in their lives we all could use a helping hand,” he added. The lesson was simple but powerful — vulnerability isn’t weakness, it’s human.

His message carried weight because he’d lived through the pain of feeling completely alone. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help and also don’t be afraid to lend a helping hand to others.” Watt’s message resonated because he’d lived it, from walk-on to superstar to broken man to champion again. His journey proved that dreams require both courage and community.

That same courage that drove Watt to leave a guaranteed scholarship for his Wisconsin dream is now fueling his bold soccer expansion across two continents. The man who bet everything on himself at his alma mater is applying that fearless mentality to building an international sports empire.

J.J. Watt’s soccer empire expands from England to Spain

J.J. Watt’s post-NFL hustle just got a whole lot more international. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year who terrorized quarterbacks for a decade with the Houston Texans is now collecting soccer teams like championship rings. His latest acquisition? A piece of Espanyol, Spain’s La Liga club that’s about to get the Watt treatment. Watt broke the news Tuesday with some serious Spanish flair: “¡Força Mágico Espanyol!” The former pass rusher isn’t just dabbling in overseas investments anymore — he’s building a legitimate soccer empire across two continents. Alan Pace’s ownership group, which already controls Burnley with Watt as a minority investor, just sealed the deal to snag Espanyol.

This move mirrors Watt’s 2011 rookie season perfectly. He joined a struggling 6-10 Texans team and helped drag them to their first playoff appearance in franchise history. Now Espanyol sits near the bottom of La Liga, ready for some American-style motivation. The timing couldn’t be more perfect for Watt’s winning touch to work its magic again. Burnley’s 2024–25 comeback story reads like a sports movie script. After relegation disappointment, they clawed back to second place in England’s second division and earned Premier League promotion. Watt and wife Kealia bought their stake in 2023, right before the turnaround began.

Maybe it’s a coincidence, but the man has a track record of turning losers into winners. Between his upcoming CBS color commentary gig and these soccer ventures, Watt’s building something special. He’s proving that championship mentality translates across sports and continents. From Houston’s first playoff run to Burnley’s promotion, Watt’s Midas touch keeps delivering results.