Steelers’ TJ Watt jokes that a ‘lesser athlete would have been hurt’ by his fall into the viral pool

NFL linebacker TJ Watt has joked that his athleticism saved him from serious injury as he scared Pittsburgh Steelers fans on social media last week after posting a video of his dangerous dip in their pool. .

Footage from early May shows the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year attempting to clean his pool when he slipped off the edge and briefly dove into the water.

The five-time Pro Bowl selection quickly got back on his feet without incident, taking to social media to reveal that he is perfectly fine.

“Warning… Activity in this video may be dangerous… do not attempt at home… (I’m completely fine),” Watt wrote on Twitter.

JJ Watt, a former three-time defensive player of the year, was quick to turn the business over to his younger brother.

Security footage from May 18 shows TJ Watt falling into his pool while trying to clean it.

Watt’s brother, JJ, said the footage of the linebacker’s fall was the “most TJ video” he had ever seen.

Watt was the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year, four seasons after the Steelers selected him

“This is the most ‘TJ’ video I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” he wrote. ‘(at least this explains why you were late cleaning mine today)’.

Watt spoke about his fall for the first time in practice for the Steelers on Thursday, poking fun at the incident.

He also acknowledged that his above-average athleticism helped with a better finish than most had feared when watching the video at first.

“I don’t know how I lost a step, but I did,” he told reporters. A lesser athlete would have been hurt.

Watt (far left) pictured with his brothers Derek (#44) and JJ (#99) at Heinz Field in 2020

Watt is currently married to Dani Rhodes, a professional soccer player since July 2022.

Watt’s elite reflexes are what led him to being a finalist for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2019 and 2020, before winning the award in 2021.

Later that year, the 28-year-old signed a four-year contract extension worth more than $112 million, including $80 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.

He also tied the NFL single-season record for most quarterback sacks, matching Michael Strahan’s sack record set in 2001.

Outside of soccer, Watt is the youngest of three boys in his family. JJ was a five-time All-Pro defensive end who was selected by the Houston Texans with the 11th pick in the 2011 NFL draft. Derek is a free agent fullback who played for the LA Chargers and Steelers, where he was a teammate. of TJ between 2020 and 2022.

Watt is currently married to Dani Rhodes, a professional soccer player, whom he met during his college days at his alma mater, Wisconsin. The couple married in July 2022.