On Friday night, Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt became the seventh player in franchise history to be awarded the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year Award.
In an interview with The Spun, Watt spoke on some of the greats of Steelers past and how they’ve helped him reach the heights he has today.
T.J. Watt opens up on winning Defensive Player of the Year (finally), the NFL’s best fans, his favorite former Steelers and more.
Full Q&A from @HunterHodies & @_DanielBates: https://t.co/yVuqlGFZ6U
— The Spun (@TheSpun) February 12, 2022
“I was there when James Harrison was there for a year,” Watt explained. “It was very cool to be under his tutelage and just see how he approaches the game. He shared some of his tricks of the trade with me…”
“I mean, “Mean” Joe Greene… so many big-time names that came through that building,” he continued. “When you see those guys played for the Steelers, played in that system, won Super Bowls, won big-time awards… it’s almost like ‘why can’t I do that?’ if they were able to do it through this building too.”
T.J. Watt certainly did that this season for the Steelers, racking up an NFL record-tying 22.5 sacks.
Most DPOY awards won by team:
Steelers – 8
Ravens – 4
Giants – 4Joe Greene twice, Mel Blount, Jack Lambert, Rod Woodson, James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, and now T.J. Watt. Defensive excellence.
— Daniel Valente (@StatsGuyDaniel) February 11, 2022
Watt also surpassed James Harrison‘s previous team record of 16 sacks in a single season. A mark the franchise’s career sack leader set back in 2008.
After signing a big extension with Pittsburgh this offseason, the four-time Pro Bowler added another All-Pro team to his list of accolades. Along with with a third first-team All-Pro selection and the league’s top defensive honor.
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