NFL Legend JJ Watt Embraces New Competitive Challenge at Burnley FC
When NFL superstar JJ Watt decided to invest in English football club Burnley FC, he wasn't just looking for a financial opportunity—he was seeking a new competitive outlet following his illustrious career on the gridiron.
"There's plenty of people with advice on what you're supposed to do and how you're supposed to do it, but I knew I would want to do something, especially towards the end of my career, to keep the competitive juices flowing," Watt told BBC Sport in a wide-ranging interview.
The former Houston Texans defensive end and his wife Kealia, a former United States international soccer player, became minority investors in the Championship club in May 2023. Since then, Watt has immersed himself in all aspects of the Lancashire club, from walking to matches with fans to hitting the weight room with players and participating in boardroom discussions.
Watt's investment came as Burnley were relegated from the Premier League, but he's witnessed a resurgence under manager Scott Parker this season, with the Clarets now in contention for automatic promotion back to the top flight.
For the 35-year-old Sports Illustrated's 2017 Sportsman of the Year, the financial mathematics of English football made more sense than investing in an NFL franchise. "You look at an American football [NFL] club - right now they're all valued at billions and billions of dollars," he explained. "You take my amount of money and put it into that and congratulations, you have one seat at a game, not at the board table, not at anything."
The opportunity to have meaningful involvement attracted him to Burnley. "I saw an opportunity to get involved at a level I wanted to be involved at, be in the board meetings, learn and grow, while also injecting something, bringing something to the club in terms of global notoriety, eyeballs to the game etc."
But Watt isn't limiting himself to boardroom duties. The 6ft 5in (1.96m) former NFL star has been spending time in the gym with Burnley players, offering a formidable presence and valuable mentorship. "Credibility comes quickly when you have 400 pounds on the bar," he laughed.
His experience as an elite athlete has enabled him to connect with players on a deeper level. "These are 22 or 23-year-old kids going through all this for the first time. I'm fortunate enough to have been through this before, so I can talk to them about how you mentally handle that."
One particular interaction with Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford made headlines in America. Watt promised he would come out of retirement to play for Trafford's favorite NFL team, the Cincinnati Bengals, if the England Under-21 international extended his record-breaking run of 12 Championship clean sheets to the end of the season.
"It started to get picked up really big in America once he hit 12, and they put up a graphic that showed Manchester United had hit 14," Watt said. "It was on every single show, so my wife came in and said, 'you're not serious about this are you?'"
The streak ended when Burnley conceded against Cardiff City earlier this month. "I had been training slightly differently for about three weeks leading up to the goal, and I did take a day off after they [Cardiff] scored that goal," Watt admitted.
What particularly attracted Watt to English football was the promotion and relegation system, which he feels creates higher stakes than American sports. "When you know there is nothing bad that can happen if you finish last, it kind of dilutes the product," he said. "When there is a literal consequence to winning and losing it makes a sport as close to the truest and most pure form that you can have."
Watt is realistic about Burnley's prospects should they achieve promotion back to the Premier League. "I'll never forget the stat on our first day [back] in the Premier League, when we played Manchester City and their three defenders cost more than the entire wage bill in the history of our club, since 1882. That doesn't happen in the NFL."
While acknowledging the financial disparities, Watt still allows himself to dream. "Am I naive enough to think we can win the Premier League next year if we go up? No, I understand how all this works. Do we all dream of a Leicester-style run one day? Absolutely, but it's more in the little things, trying to make your club better on a day-by-day basis."
For now, the NFL legend is bringing his competitive spirit, community ethos, and desire for success to this proud Lancashire club, embracing both the boardroom strategy and the grassroots passion that makes English football unique.
