J.J. Watt goes above and beyond, makes retired Marine's 'entire month'
As the NFL continues to fight an uphill public relations battle with several players protesting the national anthem, it’s always nice to see this.
Houston Texans star defensive end J.J. Watt has always been a quality role model, especially in regards to treating troops and veterans with the respect they deserve.
And while much of Watt’s appreciation for the armed services has been publicized, every once in a while his kindness flies under the radar.
Case in point: Watt welcomed “Wonder Woman” actress Gal Gadot to Reebok, which also sponsors Watt, in an innocuous enough tweet.
Welcome to the squad @GalGadot!!
Combat Instuctor, Wonder Woman, Certified Badass!!! Proud to be on the same team! https://t.co/TqbijkZ51x— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 15, 2018
As most tweets from famous athletes go, there were numerous responses. As of this writing, there were over 240 comments on the tweet’s timeline.
But one tweet out of that bunch clearly caught the eye of Watt.
A Twitter user who said he is a retired Marine Corps suffering from PTSD asked Watt, “Do your shoes provide great support for a bad knee and back on a Veteran like me?”
Do your shoes provide great support for a bad knee and back on a Veteran like me?
— Jake_(KyloRenThaBoss) (@Michaelingram84) March 15, 2018
Buried among the Twitter replies, nobody would’ve given it a second thought had Watt missed that tweet.
But that’s clearly not his style. The Texans star immediately reached out to the retired Marine.
Watt thanked him for his service within hours and offered to help him out by sending him a pair of the shoes.
Thank you for your service brother. I’m coming off some back & knee injuries myself and wear these shoes every single day. They’ve been phenomenal.
DM me your address and I’ll send you a pair so you can give me some feedback of your own. https://t.co/tJche6QxGQ
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 15, 2018
The veteran was floored. He told Watt how much he appreciated the gesture and said the NFL player had made his “entire month.”
Just wow, I was just wanting some feedback, and this is what I get. One of the reasons I'm a big fan of him and the Texans. This made my entire month, been on some hard times with health issues and this makes me forget about all that. You're the man, always will be.
— Jake_(KyloRenThaBoss) (@Michaelingram84) March 15, 2018
It’s an awesome gesture from a very patriotic player, and something everyone could see more of from professional athletes.
Last month, Watt was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year for helping to raise more than $37 million for people affected by Hurricane Harvey.
Clearly, he’s not resting on his laurels.
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