JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- J.J. Watt didn't feel well enough to do on-camera interviews after the Houston Texans defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-20 Sunday.
He spent all the energy he had getting through the game despite a severe illness -- likely having caught a bug going around the locker room.
"It was all right. I’m just tired now," Watt said, with a low and raspy voice. "It was a good win. It was a good win for our team. Great day. ...We got a good win. I just need a nap and a lot of sleep."
Watt had several pressures of Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles, and one official quarterback hit. He had two tackles and one batted pass and was penalized twice.
"You talk about a guy like J.J. Watt, you can't say enough about the guy," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. "Sick as a dog, shows up here, ready to help. plays the whole game. that's what great players do. obviously if he stays healthy in his career he'll be a Hall of Famer. That's what those guys do. They just show up no matter how they feel and they're ready to help the team."
To gear up for the game, Watt went through his normal routine. He played catch around the stadium with Texans fans big and very small. He practiced pass-rushing moves on the goal post. He caught one-handed passes from a teammate.
Spent afterward, he couldn't recall exactly when he got sick.
"Couple days ago. Yesterday? I don’t even know," Watt said. "It’s ok. We got a good staff and they took good care of me."