JJ Watt Tackles ‘Adrenaline Void’ With Burnley FC Investment
JJ Watt spent 12 years chasing down opposing quarterbacks in the NFL. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year with 114.5 career sacks wasn't just good at it, he was one of the game's best.
Chasing the adrenaline rush he felt on Sundays playing for the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals, Watt, who retired in December 2022, is now tackling sports ownership.
He and wife Kealia, a former NWSL star, became minority investors in Burnley FC in May 2023.
"The Burnley thing is such a passion project of mine," said Watt, wearing a burgundy Burnley hat. "I'm all in on it, both from an on-the-pitch standpoint and off the pitch, the business side, long-term goals, short term ...
"I love every single aspect of it and it fills that competitive void I had when I retired."
At 6-foot-5, 288 pounds, it's no surprise Watt found greatness on the gridiron, but football wasn't always his top priority. As a child, Watt grew up playing a number of sports including soccer and hockey, but "grew pretty quickly," so he forged his path in football; younger brothers Derek and TJ also followed suit to the NFL.
But that doesn't mean soccer was completely out of the picture. While at the University of Wisconsin, Watt played a lot of FIFA (now known as EA FC ).
Admitting he had "no clue" why he'd always play as the Ivory Coast, Watt became a fan of forward Didier Drogba and thus Chelsea FC. Diving into soccer, and specifically the Premier League, Watt's interest increased when he started dating Kealia Ohai, who played in the NWSL for the Houston Dash and Chicago Red Stars from 2014-21.
Learning the game's tactics, intricacies and strategies from Kealia, the couple sought to take their football fandom even further via investment. Some conversations stalled early on while others progressed further, until they scored a stake in Burnley FC.
"It checked every box," Watt said.
The Watts' minority investment is another example of American interest in the British game, joining the likes of Stan Kroenke (Arsenal), Todd Boehly (Chelsea), the Glazer family (Manchester United), John Henry and Tom Werner (Liverpool), Tom Brady (Birmingham), Wes Edens (Aston Villa), Shahid Khan (Fulham), and Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny (Wrexham).
Enticed by the history, tradition and passionate supporters of the Beautiful Game, Watt also believes the excitement of promotion/relegation is another appealing factor luring U.S. dollars across the pond.
While millions can help any club, foreign involvement has also led to hesitation from some traditionalists and purists. That's why Watt didn't want their investment in Burnley to just be a press release and them showing up every now and then. From the get go, Watt made it clear he wanted to be part of meetings, ingrained in the town and community, and to get to know the players.
Admitting there may still be some hesitations of an American football player investing in the club, Watt's biggest factor for winning over any doubters is consistency.
"I know how seriously these supporters take it and I know they can see through the bullshit, to be honest with you," he said. "They can tell if you're actually all in or if you're just along for the ride, slapping your name on it and hoping to wear a kit one day and act like you're part of the club. I want to give them the respect that they deserve.
"... There's no way you can prove to them with words or with one visit. Over time you have to continue to try to earn their trust and show we're all in this together."
While being authentic and hands on was Watt's priority from Day 1, he can't help but respect and appreciate the investment and effort Reynolds and McElhenny have made building Wrexham into a popular household name while guiding the club to consecutive promotions into League One.
Spotlighting both club and, more importantly, community through the award-winning "Welcome to Wrexham" docuseries as well as investing in the women's team, facilities and roster and coaching staff, while bringing on corporate partners including United, Meta Quest and Gatorade, the Hollywood duo have set the bar high for U.S. investment in European soccer.
"I think it would be extremely unfair to say that anybody could follow the exact playbook that they did because they did something incredible," Watt said. "... I think they've done an unbelievable job showing the town they care, really buying all in and also elevating the entire community and sharing with the world how special it is.
"That's the thing that every owner should look at and say, 'That's the playbook for how to do it.' Nobody else can replicate the documentary and everything else that comes along with it, but you can replicate how much they care and how great of a job they've done at that."
Watt is doing his best to replicate that with his club and community by attending matches at Turf Moor, pouring pints at The Royal Dyche and promoting the club as much as he can whether it's on the Pat McAfee Show or playing for Burnley at The Soccer Tournament this past summer; Kealia also suited up for the Burnley women at the TST.
As Americans inject billions into European soccer—recently Snoop Dogg even expressed interest in investing in Celtic—that doesn't mean they're ignoring the game's growth domestically. MLS will welcome its 30th club next year, while the NWSL is bringing its 15th franchise to the fold in 2026.
The NWSL in particular has become a popular investment for non-soccer athletes, headlined by Patrick Mahomes (KC Current), Eli Manning, Sue Bird and Kevin Durant (Gotham FC), Naomi Osaka (NC Courage), James Harden (Houston Dash), Serena Williams and Billie Jean King (Angel City) and Bay FC (Andre Iguodala).
As soccer continues to skyrocket in the U.S. ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup coming to the continent, could the Watts add to their investment portfolio?
"I love the NWSL. My wife loves the NWSL," Watt said. "I think that we would really enjoy being in that league if we found the right opportunity."
Dick's Sporting Goods PartnershipWhile Watt welcomes anyone gifting Burnley gear this holiday season, he and the rest of his family teamed up with Dick's Sporting Goods to ring in the holidays.
Entitled " A Watt Holiday Classic ," brothers JJ, Derek and TJ star alongside parents Connie and John in a new spot paying homage to classic holiday movies including Elf, Home Alone, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story.
"It was a blast filming it because in between takes, we're literally just playing sports in the aisles," Watt said. "It's such a natural partnership and easy thing. We're massive Christmas movie fans so for us to be able to recreate some of these iconic scenes was so much fun."
