JJ Watt spent the majority of his NFL career as the face of the Houston Texans, but he's not the only member of his family who has made an impact on the city they play for. No, we're not talking about his brother TJ, although he's been known to do some good things for the city of Pittsburgh.
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Kealia Watt, who spent six seasons in Houston as a member of the Houston Dash, has made her own impact on the Texas sports hub and has now shifted to new digs in Chicago.
Who is Kealia Watt?
Photo by Daniel Bartel/ISI Photos/Getty Images
Kealia Ohai Watt is a spitfire forward for the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women's Soccer League. After six seasons with the Dash, Watt has established the Windy City as her new home. The midfielder spent time with the United States, starting from U-17 and working herself all the way up to the senior national team. She even scored the only goal in a 1-0 win in the final of the U-20 World Cup.
The Red Stars have had a roller coaster ride throughout the NWSL Challenge Cup, and will be looking forward to making a mark in the regular season. Kealia Watt could be a key component to their potential success. At 5'4", Watt provides some zip and an ability to get lost in a crowd of taller defenders. The main issue at the moment is she tore her ACL during the playoffs last season in the NWSL semifinals against Portland Thorns FC. So it will be an uphill battle while Watt has her own preseason and rehabilitation before being able to join her team back on the pitch.
But you can tell from her career statistics, that Watt is not one to slack on her rehab. Watt crossed the 10,000 minutes played mark in a match against the Washington Spirit July 18, 2021. That's an accomplishment only a handful of women's soccer players have achieved.
Once she gets there, she'll be hoping to link up with USWNT forward Mallory Pugh and Japanese international Y?ki Nagasato. They'll be looking to put enough in the back of the net that nothing will shake national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher behind them. But that will be difficult, as Rachel Hill is also out with injury, making Chicago's attacking options pretty slim.
Hailing from Utah, and playing college ball at North Carolina, Kealia Watt has been a key figure in women's soccer for the past decade, but has not necessarily gotten the recognition she deserves. Too many look at her husband, NFL defensive end JJ Watt, and treat Kealia as if she lives in his shadow. The fact of the matter is that she very well deserves to stand in her own spotlight.
Kealia and JJ Watt's Wedding
JJ and Kealia tied the knot the day after Valentine's Day 2020 in the Bahamas. The two said "I do" at The Ocean Club, a Four Seasons Resort.
As you might've guessed, the offseason ceremony just before the coronavirus pandemic and COVID-19 outbreak looked almost as beautiful as they do.
The former first round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft shared the pictures in a tweet with the caption, "Best day of my life. Without question."
Watt proposed to Ohai in May 2019 after the pair began dating in 2016. They met through former Texans linebacker and Watt's teammate Brian Cushing, who is married to Kealia's sister, Megan.
Kealia shared some of the stunning photos from the wedding to her social media accounts.
Soccer star Kealia Ohai shared her special day with other soccer stars as well. Portland Thorns and USWNT player Crystal Dunn and OL Reign player Amber Brooks were both in attendance.
A fun little detail on their wedding day was something JJ had embroidered onto his suit. While a member of the Houston Dash, Kealia requested and received a trade to Chicago. The Houston media did not take kindly to that request and only focused on the impact the trade would have on JJ and his football career. This resulted in JJ calling specific outlets out for their angles that he felt disrespected his wife.
So at the wedding, JJ revealed "Mr. Kealia Watt" on his collar. That's the kind of spousal support we can all hope for in our lives.
MR KEALIA WATT STOP HE HAS SO MANY RIGHTS IM CRYING pic.twitter.com/Ec6432hHFu
— allie ミ☆ (@hawkespress) February 16, 2020
So at the wedding, JJ revealed "Mr. Kealia" on his collar. That's the kind of spousal support we can all hope for in our lives.
