watt a hero

J.J. Watt wins the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award thanks to his tireless Harvey relief

In his trademark style, Watt credited his co-nominees, and the citizens of Houston.

Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated

Houston Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt is the NFL’s Man of the Year.

Watt won the Walter Payton Award Saturday, February 3, during the NFL Honors show, beating out Panthers tight end Greg Olsen and Ravens tight end Benjamin Watson. Both were deserving, but Watt’s efforts after Hurricane Harvey all but made him a shoo-in.

As the damage from the storm was becoming clear, Watt posted a video online with a goal of raising $200,000 to help the city recover from Harvey’s devastation. Watt’s efforts drew national attention, and 19 days later he had raised an amazing $37 million, with donations from many celebrities from all over the country. Watt became one of the faces of recovery in the storm’s aftermath, giving hope to a battered city.

When Watt was named one of the three finalists, he tweeted out this: “Humbled & honored to even be mentioned in the same breath as Walter Payton. Also happy to share the nomination with @BenjaminSWatson and @gregolsen88 who are both extremely deserving. This is so much bigger than just one man. It’s about the good in all of humanity.”

Humbled & honored to even be mentioned in the same breath as Walter Payton. Also happy to share the nomination with @BenjaminSWatson and @gregolsen88 who are both extremely deserving. This is so much bigger than just one man. It’s about the good in all of humanity.

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) January 21, 2018

Olsen and Watson have helped numerous people through their charitable foundations and epitomize what is best in people. Watt put an entire city on his shoulders in the aftermath of a disaster and made the world take notice.

The 28-year-old Watt would go on to miss most of the 2017 season with a broken leg. A three-time defensive player of the year, Watt has been the face of the franchise for most of his Texans career, which began in 2011. But his off-field efforts were much more important.

On the field, the Texans are hoping a healthy Watt and quarterback Deshaun Watson can propel them back to the playoffs next year.

Off the field, they already have a champion.

Many Houston athletes stepped up in the wake of the storm, but Watt’s contributions will not soon be forgotten. The NFL got it right by naming him the Walter Payton Man of the Year.

For all Watt has done on the field, he will always be remembered for his efforts off it when a city needed him the most.

---

Fred Faour is the editor of SportsMap, and hosts "The Blitz" weekdays at 4 pm on ESPN 97.5.

super-bowl awards houston-texans sports city-news-roundup

rock on

Native Houstonian brings Austin-based climbing gym to the East End

Photo courtesy of Crux Climbing Center

One of the many climbing walls at Crux.

Crux Climbing Center, one of Austin's best indoor bouldering and climbing gyms, opened its first Houston location in September and is hosting a grand opening celebration this weekend.

"As a native Houstonian, bringing Crux to the Bayou City has always been a part of the long-term vision," said native Houstonian, CEO, and co-founder Kevin Goradia. "Crux is a community-oriented climbing gym, and our decision to open our first out-of-market location at The Plant was largely inspired by Concept Neighborhood’s plans to create a walkable neighborhood that truly integrates the local community.”

Goradia — the son of Houston petrochemical billionaire Vijay Goradia — co-founded the first Crux in South Austin in 2016 after being dissatisfied with the offerings at other climbing gyms. Crux has almost everything a climber could want, including bouldering, training boards, a spray wall, strength training, fitness and yoga classes, saunas, locker rooms, a Kids Cave, lounge space and a retail shop.

The gym flourished in the post-COVID physical activity boom as more people looked for both exercise and social interaction following the lockdowns. The community aspect of Crux is very important to Goradia. When he was diagnosed with cancer in January 2023, he credits the support he had through the climbing scene in Austin as a major factor in his eventual recovery.

Now, he's bringing that to Houston, a city where indoor-climbing is booming. The exceptional flat city has few natural climbing spots, which would be arduous even if they existed thanks to the heat. Instead, the last twenty years have seen an explosion of massive, indoor facilities like inSPIRE, Momentum, and now Crux.

The grand opening event will take place at the 21,000-square-foot gym space located at The Plant (3100 Canal St.) on Saturday, October 10 from 2-8 pm. This is more than just a few grab bags and a chance to do some climbing. Native Houstonian, CEO, and co-founder, Kevin Goradia is pulling out all the stops with a full vendor fair offering art, jewelry, and vintage items.

The climbing will be a great way to work off the calories from some of the food partners. Cheaters Creamery and Sinfull Bakery will both be handing out treats, and Miguelitos Grill will be serving fresh-off-the-grill quesadillas that can be washed down with beer from St. Arnold's Brewery for the 21-and-up crowd. There will even be free tattoos from 13 Goats.

And, of course, there will be climbing. Throughout the event Crux is offering BOGO deals and raffles. The event itself is free, so this is a great opportunity to get a look at what made Crux stand out in Austin.