"5:30 am? I'm in Afghanistan" - Von Miller recalls hilarious JJ Watt workout story
Three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, JJ Watt, announced that he'd retire at the end of the 2022 regular season. The Arizona Cardinals star is among the greatest defensive players in NFL history and will likely be immortalized in Canton, Ohio in his first year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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Koa’s first ever NFL game.
My last ever NFL home game.
My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure.
🙏🏼 https://t.co/wXbDUcHM8B
Buffalo Bills star Von Miller was a guest on the Pat McAfee podcast on Thursday. While discussing his finest memories of Watt, Mille recalled a hilarious story from 2013. He said:
"I went to Afghanistan in 2013 with JJ Watt for a USO tour. We played flag football together, we did all of these things. You know, we spent nine days out there together with the soldiers and doing all that. Which was a great experience. I remember this vividly. Like, JJ came to me and JJ was like, 'Hey, you want to go to the weight room in the morning?' And I said, what time you go into the weight room. He said we're going to the weight room at 5:30 in the morning. I'm like 5:30? I'm in Afghanistan, I'm gonna get some sleep... Later on at night. I told him I'm not going."
Despite Miller's refusal, Watt trained on his own. The Bills star said:
He went, he worked out. He had the footage of him working out with the soldiers. Killing s**t like JJ Watt normally does in the weight room. Fast forward, a week later, JJ Watt's on ESPN hitting home runs outside of stadiums."
Watch Miller recall the hilarious story below:
"JJ Watt motivated & inspired me on & off the football field.. hard work & dedication made him who he is"
@VonMiller shares his thoughts on @JJWatt retiring #PMSLive https://t.co/zmOEtISW8z
Von Miller pays homage to JJ Watt
Von Miller praised JJ Watt and said he motivated him on and off the field, and he admires the player and the man Watt is. He said:
"I was already a fan of JJ but it was like okay, this is the type of dedication, this is the type of hard work that makes JJ Watt who he is. He always says dream big, work hard. He's always been a big dreamer. He's never ever stopped working hard. Whether it's him showing off a batting practice, whether that's him getting extra work in, whether that's him coming in early and him leaving late or him really putting his all into the craft and I think witnessing him do that definitely made me a better player a better person on and off the football field."
Miller and Watt were in the same draft class. The Denver Broncos picked Miller with the 2nd overall pick, while the Houston Texans used their 11th to draft Watt. Miller beat Watt to win the 2011 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, but Watt bounced back by winning the Defensive Player of the Year award three times in the next four seasons.
The future Hall of Famers never spent time together as teammates in the NFL but have mutual admiration for each other.