JJ Watt’s biggest athletic accomplishment came years after he retired from the NFL.
The 7-time All Pro defensive star, 2-time NFL sacks leader and 5 time pro-bowler (and 2017 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year) was a menace during his time in the NFL. JJ Watt retired following the 2023 season, and has since had a successful post-football career in sports media.
He’s a decorated, highly-respected athlete that is considered to be both a Houston, Texas and Wisconsin sports legend. So much so that he was recently asked to throw out the first pitch at a Milwaukee Brewers game. The throw itself was a little off, but it was still a moment to remember for Watt.
Check it out:
What if I told you that wasn’t the coolest thing he did that night? In fact, what if I said that a couple of hours after this, Watt reached the peak of his athletic career?
I’m always plugged into the “9-9-9 Challenge” at baseball games, where fans attempt to down 9 beers and 9 hot dogs during the nine-inning time span of the baseball game. That used to be a lot easier before the MLB implemented the pitch clock, which sped up games and shortened the window for the “9-9-9 Challenge.”
Then you’ve got the “18-18-18 Challenge,” which I’ve proudly written about before. A man dressed up as a character from Happy Gilmore successfully completed the insane feat of 18 beers and 18 hot dogs in a matter of 18 holes. Depending on pace of play, that means he consumed all of that in a matter of 4 or 5 hours.
All that to say that I’m always keeping an eye out for the next big challenge. And I don’t even know if I’d call what Watt did a “challenge,” because he absolutely breezed through the “9-9-9 Challenge” at the Brewers game.
But first, he had to check with social media to see what it was all about:
Evidently, he was convinced that it was fun and entertaining. Or he was just going to do it anyways, no matter how social media responded.
JJ Watt got off to a hot start. Through the first inning, he had already downed three beers and three hot dogs. I’m not an expert in this challenge, but it does seem that front-loading the intake can pay dividends. JJ Watt is the latest to showcase that strategy, and he didn’t mind being boastful about it:
Great pace.
And JJ Watt continued that into the second inning. He was already at five beers and five dogs – more than halfway through with the challenge – before the Brewers game had even gotten into the third inning. Not exactly surprising for a guy that was pushing 300 pounds during his playing days (all muscle of course), but still very impressive.
Gotta respect five and five through the second inning.
The former NFL star showed no signs of slowing down in the third, and even shared on social media that he was comfortable with hitting cruise control once he reached the seven beer and seven hot dog mark:
That’s Joey Chestnut speed right there.
And finally, JJ Watt wrapped up the feat and really made it a “9-9-6” challenge by finishing his last dog and beer halfway through the fifth inning. He might have been at the game for pleasure, but Watt was all business when it came to downing beers and dogs:
“Halfway through the fifth (inning). Nine and nine right here… nine beers, nine dogs in five and a half innings. All done.”
Love the guy yelling “IT’S A BAD DAY TO BE A DOG” right off screen.
Salute to you JJ Watt. You took on the challenge that troubles most and triumphed. Just as he did on the football field, JJ made the rest of watch in awe as he made the task at hand look easy. And I don’t mean this disrespectfully, but conquering the “9-9-9 Challenge” in less than six innings is right up there with his NFL accomplishments.
Some argued in the comments that you’re supposed to work at a 1-1-1 clip, and that hammering out the challenge in the first half of the game is against the spirit of the challenge. But to them I say…. meh.
