T.J. Watt has established himself as one of the NFL‘s premier pass rushers in his now seventh year with the Pittsburgh Steelers and continues to terrorize opposing quarterbacks.
The veteran outside linebacker has already well outpaced his career-low sack total from an injury-shortened 2022 season in three fewer games than he played all of last year. Ahead of the Steelers’ Thursday Night Football clash with the Tennessee Titans, let’s take a look back on Watt’s collegiate career.
Where Did T.J. Watt Play College Football?
T.J., the youngest of three brothers, followed in siblings J.J. Watt and Derek Watt’s footsteps by attending the University of Wisconsin. The trio all grew up in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, and each elected to stay close to home at the state’s flagship university.
Although J.J.’s time at Wisconsin ended in 2010, T.J.’s career there overlapped with Derek’s stint that spanned from 2011 through 2015.
MORE: Pittsburgh Steelers Depth Chart
T.J. joined the Badgers in 2013, redshirting that year as a freshman before a knee injury kept him off the field for the 2014 season. He made the switch from tight end to outside linebacker ahead of the 2015 campaign, a move that started slow as he notched eight tackles (four solo), three pass breakups, and 1.5 tackles for a loss in 13 appearances that year.
The position switch paid dividends in 2016, though, as Watt broke out to the tune of 63 tackles (38 solo), 15.5 tackles for a loss, 11.5 sacks, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and an interception.
When Was Watt Drafted?
Watt then declared for the 2017 NFL Draft and became the third Watt brother to be a draft selection (J.J. was taken 11th overall in 2011, and Derek was taken 198th in 2016) when Pittsburgh called his name with the 30th overall pick.
T.J. quickly emerged as a key contributor for the Steelers and has made five consecutive Pro Bowls dating back to his second NFL season in 2018. He was named first-team All-Pro for three straight seasons, earning the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021 before missing out on both honors during an injury-shortened 2022 campaign.
Watt is up to 351 tackles (256 solo), 95 tackles for a loss, 86 sacks, 43 pass breakups, 25 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries, and seven interceptions for his career.
He has amassed 18 tackles (13 solo), 8.5 sacks, seven tackles for a loss, six pass breakups, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, and one interception through seven appearances this season.
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