Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt became a part of the NFL Thanksgiving lore in the club’s 41-25 win over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Week 12.
With 4:45 to go in the first quarter, Watt picked off quarterback Matthew Stafford and returned the interception 19 yards for the Texans’ first touchdown of the afternoon.
According to Trey Wingo from ESPN, Watt’s interception made him the third-heaviest NFL player to score a touchdown on Thanksgiving at 288 pounds. The only players heavier were Lions defensive tackle Mike Wells against the Kansas City Chiefs in 1996 at 315 pounds. Dwayne Carswell, tight end for the Denver Broncos, was second-heaviest when he scored a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys in 2001.
Watt responded to Wingo’s stat on Twitter.
“Give me ’til the end of the night and I’ll be number one,” Watt wrote.
Give me ‘til the end of the night and I’ll be number one. #PlatesOnPlatesOnPlates https://t.co/RPzAAxL1QZ
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) November 26, 2020
If Watt were to eat enough to weigh 316 pounds by midnight Central Time, he would have 10 days to rest and lose a little bit of the holiday weight as the 4-7 Texans gear up to play the Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 6 at NRG Stadium.
