Exclusive Interview with J.J. Watt Ahead of Dicks Sporting Goods Ad Campaign

It's not everyday you get to interview a player who so greatly impacted your youth. Earlier this week, I had the honor of representing SB Nation and Battle Red Blog while interviewing none other than J.J. Watt. The former Houston Texans defensive end is living a life off the field that matches and surpasses the impact he made on it.

In the video below we discuss his time with the Houston Texans, his role as a parent, his on-screen analysis with Patt McAffee and CBS Sports, as well as his role with the Burnley FC football (soccer) club in England.

Watt, like all Americans, is gearing up for the holiday season. The only difference is he's doing so while partnering with Dick's Sporting Goods. The Watt family came together for this fantastic ad that references Home Alone; J.J. gets lost in the emporium that is Dick's. You can watch the ad in the Youtube video below.

It's fantastic to see the lighthearted and family side come out in these commercials. Watt reminisced about making the ad telling me that "in the beginning (was the toughest part to get the takes right), you always have to get the jitters out in the beginning". The Watt family ability to "make fun of each other" is a calling card of theirs and what truly makes this football royalty closer.

For the longest time we knew J.J. as the intense on-field persona, but over time we've seen the full range of his personality. From his aid with Hurricane Harvey to his analytical insight on CBS Sports, J.J. is a renaissance man. The Dick's ad and my interview with him illustrate he's a balance of that true-to-nature intensity with an underlying sense of fun and ease.

USNMT fans and the writers over at Stars and Stripes FC will enjoy the quick conversation surrounding U.S. soccer hopeful and Burnley FC star Luca Koleosho. Watt has campaigned for the Connecticut-born soccer player with nationality ties to Italy, Nigeria, and Canada to represent the United States in international play. He remarked that Koleosho "he is phenomenal, he's great, he's so fast, he's so quick, he's so young". All things the USMNT embody with this current generation.

I persoanlly was most intrigued by his to his on-air time. Watt has weekly segments on the Patt McAffee show and CBS Sports Sunday; two shows that couldn't be more polar opposite in terms of tone, dress code, and audience. Still, Watt finds a way to enjoy the balance of duality. "It's the perfect mix because I get both. On Wednesdays I get to talk with Patt (McAfee)... and then on Sunday you get the more structured, suit and tie, you know X's and O's talk".

Interestingly, he declared that he "would not like one without the other", indicating that his on-screen appearances between two networks are predicated on striking a balance between the enthusiasm of a Patt McAfee show with the in-depth nature of CBS.