J.J. Watt Offers to Pay Funeral Expenses for Fan's Grandfather: 'Don't Sell Your Shoes and Jersey'

Tommy McArdle
·2 min read
7
Watt #99 of the Arizona Cardinals walks the field before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on November 21, 2021 in Seattle, Washington.
Watt #99 of the Arizona Cardinals walks the field before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on November 21, 2021 in Seattle, Washington.
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J.J. Watt offered to open up his wallet to help out a fan.

On Wednesday, the Arizona Cardinals defensive end, 33, reached out to a fan via Twitter who had posted that she was selling a pair of Watt's branded sneakers and a Watt Texans jersey.

"They are great shoes, im only selling because we are raising money for my grandpas funeral," a woman named Jennifer Simpson wrote on Twitter Wednesday evening.

Rather than let a fan of his sell their items, Watt, who played for the Houston Texans from 2011 to 2020, responded to Simpson and offered to help out himself.

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"Don't sell your shoes and jersey, we'll help with the funeral," Watt responded on Twitter. "I'm sorry for your loss. 🙏"

Watt's offer appeared to have a major impact on Simpson, who wrote "I freaking love you man," in her response on Twitter.

J.J. Watt #99 of the Arizona Cardinals takes the field before the game against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at SoFi Stadium on January 17, 2022 in Inglewood, California
J.J. Watt #99 of the Arizona Cardinals takes the field before the game against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at SoFi Stadium on January 17, 2022 in Inglewood, California

Ronald Martinez/Getty

"It's been a hard year for me, and this last month has been hard since the death," she wrote. "I wish I could tell you my story."

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Watt's charitable conduct is not a new look for the five-time Pro-Bowl defensive end. In 2017, he won the NFL's Walter Peyton Man of the Year award while playing with Houston. The award, which was first given out in 1970, "recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field," according to the NFL's website.

Winners of the award receive $250,000 to donate to a charity of their choice, according to the NFL's website. In 2017, Watt raised money for relief in Houston in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, ultimately raising just over $37 million on GoFundMe.

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In May 2018, Watt offered to pay for the funerals of 10 Texas high school students and teachers killed in a mass shooting. And in November 2021, Watt agreed to cover funeral costs for six people who were killed when a driver barreled through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wis., according to The Sporting News.

It's unclear whether Watt and Simpson have spoken off social media about his offer.

Watt expects to open the 2022 NFL season with the Cardinals after playing in just seven games last season due to injury. In those seven games, Watt recorded 10 solo tackles, took part in 16 combination tackles and tallied one sack.