JJ Watt does it again, makes a difference for Santa Fe shooting victims

By Joe Setyon May 22, 2018 at 11:17am

Houston Texans star defensive end J.J. Watt has continued to give back to his community in the wake of last week’s horrific shooting at Santa Fe High School, which left 10 people dead.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Watt expressed his horror at the tragic loss of life.

Absolutely horrific.

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) May 18, 2018

He also reached out to school officials with an offer to pay for the funerals of the nine students and one teacher who were shot and killed at the Houston-area school.

Santa Fe High School officials have been notified that @JJWatt is personally going to pay for the funerals of all the victims of the Santa Fe High School shooting tragedy.

— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) May 19, 2018

But Watt wasn’t done. On Monday, he visited victims of the shooting who were still in the hospital.

One of the students Watt visited was 17-year-old Clay Horn, a pole vaulter who had previously said he wished he could meet Watt while in the hospital.

https://twitter.com/randyw07/status/998693636362657792

Watt also brightened up the day of Sarah Salazar, a 16-year-old student who was “the only person taken out of the room still alive” following the shooting, her mother wrote in a Facebook post.

Is J.J. Watt a good role model for young athletes?

Sarah’s jaw is broken and she needs a shoulder replacement, but she was encouraged by Watt’s visit.

“(T)hey took her tube out today and she’s breathing on her own,” Sarah’s mother wrote. “JJ Watt visited her right after and it put a smile on her face. Thankful for the support and prayers.”

https://www.facebook.com/sonialopez247notary/posts/780108962179882

Watt’s active role in his community is nothing new, as he won the NFL’s prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2017 for his efforts to help Houston-area residents impacted by last summer’s Hurricane Harvey.

After the devastating hurricane hit, Watt started a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $200,000, and personally matched the first $100,000 donated, according to NFL.com.

In just 19 days, Watt went on to raise more than $37 million for the victims.

“I cannot thank everyone enough for their support and donations from across the country and around the world,” Watt said last October.

In the face of terrible tragedies, it’s encouraging to think that there are some NFL players who care about making a difference.

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Tags:

Houston Texans, Mass shooting, NFL, Texas

Joe Setyon

Deputy Managing Editor, Editorial

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Joe Setyon was a deputy managing editor for The Western Journal who had spent his entire professional career in editing and reporting. He previously worked in Washington, D.C., as an assistant editor/reporter for Reason magazine.

@JoeSetyon

Joe Setyon was deputy managing editor for The Western Journal with several years of copy editing and reporting experience. He graduated with a degree in communication studies from Grove City College, where he served as managing editor of the student-run newspaper. Joe previously worked as an assistant editor/reporter for Reason magazine, a libertarian publication in Washington, D.C., where he covered politics and wrote about government waste and abuse.

Birthplace

Brooklyn, New York

Topics of Expertise

Sports, Politics