Former NFL defensive end · Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Justin James “J.J.” Watt
NFL defensive end and three-time Defensive Player of the Year; raised in Pewaukee, often listed as born in Waukesha
$130 million
Justin James “J.J.” Watt is the Pewaukee-raised defensive end who became a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a Walter Payton Man of the Year, and the face of a Texans defense that made Houston care about stop-the-run football. Birth records and older bios often place his birth in Waukesha and his raise next door in Pewaukee; the high-school banners say Pewaukee either way. Hockey came first. He played travel teams that took him to Canada and Germany until money and scheduling pushed him toward football. At Pewaukee High he was a four-sport letterman and Woodland Conference Player of the Year. After leaving Central Michigan he mopped floors and delivered pizza at a Pewaukee Pizza Hut, then walked on at Wisconsin and became a first-round draft pick. His middle name honors paternal grandfather James; the family mantra from firefighter dad John was “Act like somebody.” A 2014 six-year, $100 million extension briefly made him the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback. Off the field he raised tens of millions after Hurricane Harvey and, after the 2021 Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy, publicly offered funeral help for victims. Brothers Derek and T.J. also reached the NFL; this page is J.J. alone. The Wisconsin claim is Pewaukee raise and schooling, with Waukesha often listed on the birth certificate.