J.J. Watt can now add another prestigious honor to his growing list of accolades: Time Magazine's Top 100 most influential people.
On Thursday, the Texans three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year was named to TIME Magazine's Time 100, the annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner wrote the accompanying tribute to Watt that is also featured on the TIME 100. The following is an excerpt:
"Every few years, a professional athlete touches the heart and soul of a city in a way that has nothing to do with athleticism. Such is the case with Houston Texans star J.J. Watt, who is a star on and off the field."
Last year, Watt helped raise $37 million to help rebuild Houston and parts of Southeast Texas devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Watt donated the first $100,000 with a goal of reaching just $200,000, but far surpassed his initial goal with donations pouring in from all over the world. After closing his fundraiser, Watt worked with four strategic non-profit organizations - Americares, Feeding America, SBP and Save the Children – to help rebuild homes, restore child-care centers, provide food and address the health needs of those most affected by Harvey. In February, Watt was also named Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year for his charitable efforts following Harvey.
The TIME 100 list, now in its fifteenth year, recognizes the activism, innovation and achievement of the world's most influential individuals. TIME editors have said of the list in the past, "The TIME 100 is a list of the world's most influential men and women, not its most powerful, though those are not mutually exclusive terms. While power is certain, influence is subtle. As much as this exercise chronicles the achievements of the past year, we also focus on figures whose influence is likely to grow, so we can look around the corner to see what is coming."
Click here to see the full TIME 100 list which will also be featured in the April 30, 2018 issue, available on newsstands on Friday, April 20.
J.J. Watt--from his time as a Texan back to his Wisconsin Badger days--is featured here in photos.
