UW football: Watt bigger than life on and off the field

It's not unusual for a college athlete to go back to his high school and visit his former coaches or speak to the athletes. But Watt goes beyond that.

Watt likes to visit former teachers and quietly slip into the back of classrooms, to see how long he goes unnoticed, although it's not as easy lately with his rocketing fame.

"I do it all the time," Watt said. "Every time I'm in Pewaukee, I try and stop in, just because it's so much fun for me. I'll slide in the back of a classroom and see how long it takes people to notice.

"One student will notice. I can tell if it's a freshman, because a freshman will look at me like, 'Is that ... I think it is.' Then he'll tap his buddy and it spreads. It's pretty cool."

If Watt had his way, he would quietly visit as many of his former teachers as he could find, without creating a stir. But it's hard to do that these days, given his larger-than-life profile in the community.

"J.J.'s in the building today," athletic director John Maltsch said of the buzz that quickly sweeps through the school. "It goes around real quick."

Watt doesn't carry himself like a star football player who has helped lead the Badgers into the Rose Bowl against Texas Christian on Saturday.

"Obviously, when he comes in it creates a stir, but J.J. hasn't forgotten where he came from," said Pewaukee football coach Clay Iverson, who coached Watt and has known him since middle school. "It's not, ‘Oh, my gosh, here comes a superstar.' It's ‘Here comes a guy we're really, really proud of.'''

As proud as Pewaukee is of Watt, he might be even more proud of the community and the schools that have helped shape the person he has become. He sounds like he should be on the city's Chamber of Commerce, or at least the school board, when talking about his hometown in the western Milwaukee suburbs.

"The biggest thing I like about it is they really stress academics," he said. "We have an unbelievable school system in Pewaukee. I really believe that's part of the reason for my success, even on the football field, because I learned great morals and values and character traits in my schooling.

"Obviously, it translates onto the field when you need discipline and work ethic."

That's why Watt makes a point of visiting former teachers, in addition to former coaches, on his frequent trips back to the schools. "I wouldn't be where I am without them," he said of his teachers.

Elementary, my dear Watt

Watt doesn't limit his trips back to the high school. He goes back to the elementary school to read to students. He will stop by youth football games when he can. He also supports non-athletic events like school plays.

He believes in giving back to a community that has given so much to him. He is appreciative of the things he has because he wasn't always on the fast track to becoming one of the top defensive ends in college football and a likely high NFL draft pick if he elects to come out after this season. He started out as a tight end at Central Michigan before transferring and walking on at UW.

"I feel like I should go back and support everything I did," Watt said. "I started in fifth-grade football and worked my way up. I wanted to go back and show those fifth-graders, ‘Hey I made it. Hard work can take you wherever you want to go, too.' Because there were people my whole life, telling me I couldn't do it, I couldn't make it.'

"I just wanted to go back and tell those kids, 'Look, you can do it. You may not do it right away. You might not take the exact path you want to, but you're going to make it if you work hard.'''

A community leader

Watt's community service work is not restricted to his hometown. He led the team in volunteer hours the past two seasons. He is starting his own charitable foundation.

He is a natural with kids. He looks just as comfortable in an elementary classroom as he does chasing down quarterbacks in the Big Ten Conference.

"Whether he's on the football field, in a meeting, in a class, working with younger kids, he's all in all the time," Iverson said. "It's not like he's sitting in a third-grade class thinking about the Rose Bowl. Same thing when he's playing in the Rose Bowl, he's not thinking about a third-grade class.

"He's got that unique ability that a lot of adults don't have - remember, we're talking about a 21-year-old guy here - to be completely engrossed in the moment he is in. That's what makes him so special."

All in the family

Watt's roots in the community run deep. His parents are John and Connie Watt. His did was an all-conference wrestler and also played football at Pewaukee and coached J.J. from fifth grade until high school. The dad still gives the son football pointers. Two uncles also played football and wrestled at Pewaukee.

J.J. has two younger brothers who also play football. Derek is a senior linebacker who has committed to play for the Badgers next season. Trent is a sophomore who played outside linebacker but will probably grow to be a defensive end.

The star of the family might be Jim Watt, known affectionately as "Grandpa Watt." He is a regular at most Pewaukee sporting events and known for wearing suspenders, one for the Pirates (the high school nickname) and one for the Badgers. He has his own Facebook fan page and his voice usually can be heard above the crowd.

"Grandpa Watt is an icon in Pewaukee," Iverson said. "Just like the whole family, he's very supportive of things that aren't always wins and losses. They appreciate the time and effort people put in, they appreciate hard work. You look at Grandpa Watt and you can see where the whole thing trickles down from."

If you want to be a Badger...

After one year at Central Michigan, J.J. Watt turned his back on a scholarship and a starting spot because it was his dream to play for the Badgers. His parents always supported the decision.

"A lot of parents could have said, 'We don't have that kind of money, we can't do that for you,' " he said. "They said, 'Go ahead, go chase your dreams, we're going to support you no matter what.' To have that kind of support really boosted my confidence and gave me a lot of encouragement going into that situation."

Even Watt, whose motto is "Work Hard, Dream Big," would have had a hard time dreaming of this ending.

"A lot of people, even in Pewaukee, called me crazy, said I'd never make it," he said. "They said, 'That's one of the dumbest decisions of your life.' It turned out to be hands down the greatest decision of my life."