US soldier in Afghanistan opens package, realizes NFL star kept his promise
Houston Texans star J.J. Watt won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award last month for his incredible efforts to help his NFL city in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
Watt helped raise more than $37 million for people affected by the intense flooding in Houston and coastal areas in Texas.
“This award is about the inherent good that lies within humanity,” he said after accepting his award.
Watt’s charitable efforts aren’t always on such a large scale, however. He’s often gone out of his way to support American troops and veterans in small ways.
After the release of a new version of his Reebok JJ II shoe in December, the defensive end got a Twitter inquiry from a soldier deployed in Afghanistan.
https://twitter.com/OfMiceAndLogann/status/941286738969931776
Watt promised he’d do what he could to send him a pair.
I don’t think it’s on the normal distribution map, but I’ll make sure that we find a way to make it happen.
DM me your size and the address. https://t.co/p5OCxLbtOC— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) December 14, 2017
After prompting from another Twitter user, Watt asked for the entire unit’s shoe sizes so he could outfit all of them.
He kept his word, and the unit received the shipment in January.
“Big thanks from the men of C-2 3/509 airborne. GERONIMO,” said the soldier who first reached out to Watt.
https://twitter.com/OfMiceAndLogann/status/956494853831053313
Watt loved the photo of the shoes alongside the paratroopers’ gear.
Now that is a badass photo!
I’m glad they made it to you guys. Send my best to the rest of the crew, stay safe and know that all of us over here are thinking about you and thankful for you. https://t.co/mPYhrEihtk— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) January 25, 2018
“Send my best to the rest of the crew, stay safe and know that all of us over here are thinking about you and thankful for you,” he tweeted in response.
The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year is likely wearing his Reeboks a lot these days. In mid-January, he resumed running as he works to recover from the tibial plateau fracture in his left leg that ended his 2017 season in October. A month and a half later, Texans coach Bill O’Brien said Watt is “ahead of schedule in his rehab.”
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