JJ Watt

The English Premier League is more exciting than American sports because of the high consequences of relegation and promotion

That's the beauty of it. That's why I love the English Premier League because it's relegation, it's promotion, the consequences are so much higher.

Houston is the most underrated food city in the world

Houston is the most underrated food city in possibly the world. Traffic and humidity suck, but for food and fans, Houston is the greatest city.

Modern NFL players and trainers are smarter for not lifting heavy weights to avoid the high risk of injury

I do think that players and trainers have gotten a lot smarter about like, you don't need the risk reward for getting up to those levels of weights. It doesn't make any sense because you have a much greater chance of hurting yourself than you do of gaining that 0.01% chance of improvement.

I will not be playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers next season

I will not be playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers. I will be going to a game at Heinz Field to watch my brother play... I can tell you right now for a fact, I'm not coming back... if I went out there to play right now, it [my body] would not perform.

I agree with Giannis Antetokounmpo that failing to win a title isn't a failure

The older I get and the further along I get and the more perspective that I get in life, I absolutely agree with Giannis' comments. I completely see people on the other side... but in terms of as an athlete, how you have to mentally live your life to not put yourself into a really, really shitty way... I love his perspective.

The mental stress of being an injured high-paid athlete who can't help the team is the hardest part of the NFL

Knowing that you're getting paid millions of dollars to play this game and you're sitting in a training room not on the field... that weighs so heavily on your mind because all you want to do is get back out there for everybody involved and you feel like you are letting everybody down. I wasn't able to handle that properly.

I can still bench press 225 pounds for 27 reps today

225. If I was to do it right now. Yeah, I could probably right now today get like 27.

The Hall of Fame should give me a speaking slot before Tom Brady so I don't have to follow him

I don't want the last speech. Oh, have no interest in the last speech. Okay. So see, I can, like, I can just fluff it up for Tom and let him hit it out of the park. I can give him all like the, the praise and everything and then just let him maybe say like a quick sentence about me before he gets into Yeah. Thanking everybody.

I'm the greatest defender ever for a single season or game

For one single game? Or are you talking about for one single season that which player would you want? Because that's different. I mean, I'm, I'm never gonna argue for the longevity of my career... But for one season or one game, I, I'll, I'll put myself in that argument.

Trent Williams is the best at using a defender's momentum and 'vet savvy' against them

One of the guys that does that [using tricks] very well, as Trent Williams. Trent does, he has some tricks and, and things to his game that are just very, very smart, very vet savvy... [he'll] just knock your hands down and you'll fall flat on your face.

T.J. Watt will be a better player than me if he stays healthy

If he stays healthy and, and I, I hope he stays healthy and I hope he does. He'll break every record I got and he'll absolutely be a better player than me. There's no doubt for a single season, for a single, like being able to do everything. I I I won't give up that title.

Luke Fickell is building a monster at the University of Wisconsin

Luke Fickell building a monster. Looking forward to that. ... We have more quarterbacks in the room now than we've had our entire history ever. I don't understand. I have no clue what's going on.

Deshaun Watson is a much better pocket passer than people realize

I think he's a good pocket passer. I think that that's one thing that people, when you think of [Deshaun Watson], you immediately think of a guy that can move around and get away from pressure, but he is good in the pocket.

Core work is the most important thing for an athlete because everything connects to it

Tons and tons of core work to make sure that my core is locked in... Core is important. It's extremely important. It's the most important. That's what they say. Everything attaches to your core.

I will likely lose weight when I retire because I only eat this much to maintain my size

I think I'll lose weight [when I retire]... because I don't necessarily love eating as much as I do. I know I have to. So it's much more now of just eating to keep the weight on and keep the muscle on. But when I'm done, I'll probably eat three regular meals a day and not get crazy with it.

I honestly thought I could be a Premier League goalie with one year of training

I swore I could be a Premier League goalie. And she's [my girlfriend, Kealia Ohai] a soccer player. So I was like, give me one year to train. I think I can do it. So she goes, okay, come to the field... She smoked a ball past my face so fucking fast. And I was like, no chance. You can give me five years to train. No chance.

Being a professional athlete in America ruins your ability to be a fan because you know how the business works

American sports, I know how free agency works. I know how these backdoor conversations, I know how all the inner workings of it, and it kind of screws you up as a fan because it's hard to get fully into a team because you know how it all goes in the back end. So I'm watching [Premier League]... I don't know what the hell these transfer fees are... So I just blindly am a fan.

Moms are the most important job because there would be no troops without them

It is the most important job that you can do. [Gun to my head] I'm going to go with moms come first. There would be no troops if it wasn't for moms.

Michael Jordan is better than LeBron James

[Gun to your head] I mean, you go with MJ.

LeBron James' career is an incredible feat given the spotlight he has faced since age 18

For what [LeBron]'s had to handle from such a young age... to have the entire world spotlight on you, expecting you to be great, and to go out there and to live up to all the hype that people have put on you. And also have a clean record off the court... that's incredible.

Winning a Super Bowl is more important than making the Hall of Fame

Super Bowl champion. The Hall of Fame is awesome. It's really cool. But I think at the end of the day, you know if you played good or not. I don't think you necessarily need the justification of wearing it.

Success is not owned, it's leased, and rent is due every day

Its success is not owned its least and rent is due every day. And that's what I said... I've never once said that that was my quote. I've said before that it's not my quote. But people always give that to me.

You can't find a touchdown in a club

You can't find a touchdown in a club. Is that true? Yeah, that's my quote.

Saving a child's life is more important than saving an elderly person

Saving a child's life. I mean, if you're going to save one, you've got to save the kids.

I am not retiring

No, I'm not retiring. I feel great. You can put that on the ticker. But this last season was almost like a mini-retirement because with the back surgery, you're literally not allowed. There's a whole list of things you're not allowed to do.

You can't be one of the best players on a team if you only played three games

I think last year, yeah, I would not – I mean, you only played three games. You can't be one of the best players on the team if you only played three games.

I will never publicly put out statistical goals again

Never put numbers out anymore because then all people do is bring up those numbers and they don't actually watch. I did that one year... and for the rest of that next season and beyond, everybody's like, well, he didn't hit it. And everybody compares you to that.

My cabin in Wisconsin is actually the nicest house in America

I never actually called the cabin minimalistic... [it's] the nicest house in America. Beautiful house. I did one interview about the cabin and I never actually called the cabin minimalistic... then they find out it's a big cabin, and I'm like, I never said it was a small cabin.