Nine-year-old Will Martinez had a simple wish. He wanted J.J. Watt to come to his house for dinner.
Will had been battling leukemia for three years. His room, decorated in Texans paraphernalia, had a lifesize Watt Fathead poster to "protect him." Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Will received the surprise of a lifetime when he went outside to play and found the Defensive Player of the Year waiting in his front yard.
Watt caught passes from Will, rode a tricycle, and played some games before eating dinner with him. After spending a few hours with the Martinez family, Watt invited everyone, including parents Gilbert and Allison Martinez and sister Kadette, to attend practice the next day. The Texans were in the midst of OTAs, but the young Texans fan had a chance to meet the players, coaches, and even break down the huddle at the end of practice.
"Will Martinez, what an inspiration," head coach Bill O'Brien said June 10. "Obviously, that hits home to us here, with our organization, with Mr. McNair and his battle and David Quessenberry and my mom is a two-time breast cancer survivor so it hits home. So anytime you bring a kid like Will Martinez to the center of a huddle, make his day, it really makes both our days so I think it was a great day for Houston."
ESPN aired the episode of "My Wish" featuring Watt and the Martinez family during Monday's Sportscenter and is available on ESPN.com.
9-yr old Will Martinez visited a Texans practice recently as part of the ESPN 'My Wish' series.
