Texans DE J.J. Watt puts charge in Houston defense

RENTON – This was always the plan for J.J. Watt, to be considered one of the best players in the NFL, even during those months when he was a man without a football home and delivering pizzas to pass the time.

“My whole life I’ve had expectations for myself and goals for myself that a lot of other people thought were unrealistic or didn’t think were possible,” Watt said Wednesday.

All that matters this week to Watt, a defensive end for the Houston Texans and the NFL’s reigning defensive player of the year, is trying to find a way to disrupt a Seahawks offense that ranks fourth in the NFL in scoring.

The 6-foot-5, 289-pound Watt led the NFL a year ago in sacks with 20 1/2, fronting an aggressive Houston defense.

Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said Wednesday the Texans will bring as much pressure as any team Seattle will face this year, estimating that Houston will rush an extra defender roughly 80 percent of the time.

Goal one, though, will be attempting to accomplish what few NFL teams have of late – containing Watt, who has three sacks this season.

It’s a challenge that could be greater for the Seahawks because of their health situation. Left tackle Russell Okung is out for up to eight weeks with a toe injury, right tackle Breno Giacomini missed practice with a knee injury that has his status uncertain and center Max Unger missed practice with an arm injury.

To think that roughly five years ago, Watt was spending his days delivering pizzas.

He weighed roughly 220 pounds as a senior at Pewaukee (Wis.) High School and, legend has it, was told by Wisconsin coaches he wasn’t big enough to warrant a scholarship. He instead accepted an offer at Central Michigan, where he played tight end. Watt, though, wasn’t sure that position was the best fit for him and decided to leave after his freshman season, enrolling in a local junior college and working for Pizza Hut.

He said Wednesday, “It was a good job. Nothing really wrong with it.” He decided during that time, however, that his heart was at Wisconsin, so he decided to walk on, where among the other walk-ons was Chris Maragos, now a backup free safety for the Seahawks.

Maragos remembers Watt working on the scout team and having his way with the starting offensive line.

“He was just kind of a late bloomer,” Maragos said. “He just needed to get used to his body type and fill out a little bit, and when he did he had the athleticism. And then when he got as big as he did and being that athletic, it’s a huge mismatch.”