Football’s First Family Takes to TV for Funny Commercial
The Watt brothers apparently aren’t content with success on the football field. They’ve recruited mom and dad and gone Hollywood, collaborating on a funny commercial pitching sandwiches for Subway.
The Watt siblings shine in football
The Watt brothers form one of the most formidable family acts in the National Football League.
J.J.
He was selected the NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times in his first five seasons.
T.J. Watt, selected 30th overall in 2017 by the Pittsburgh Steelers, just put up a huge season with 14.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss. He also forced eight fumbles and made four fumble recoveries on his way to being nominated for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Derek Watt, a fullback for the Los Angeles Chargers, was selected in the sixth round in 2016. He’s primarily a special-teams player but rushed for his first career touchdown last season.
New commercial brings back old memories for the Watt family
The Subway commercial that began airing this week is a 15-second spot that begins with Papa Watt returning to the car with a bag of food and handing sandwiches to sons, Derek, T.J., and J.J. Watt in the back seat, just like the old days.
An argument quickly ensues among the brothers – T.J. Watt gets a bit of a starring role – over which sandwich is the boys’ favorite. Mama Watt, sitting in the driver sat, puts an end to the quarrel with a stern and scene-stealing, “Hey, knock it off.”
The brothers respond in unison with a dronish and apologetic, “Sorry.”
Endorsements are nothing new for J.J. Watt
The commercial was just one more deed on a busy offseason schedule for J.J. Watt.
The 6-foot-5 defensive end hosted “Saturday Night Live” last month. Two weeks later he married soccer player Kealia Ohai, a midfielder on the U.S. Women’s National Team, in a ceremony in the Bahamas. Ohai made national team history by scoring just 48 seconds into her debut after being brought on as a substitute late in the game.
Watt is turning into a one-man financial empire. He’s made more than $91 million in salary since coming into the league and is locked in for a total of $33 million more over the next two seasons.
He is also one of the most sought-after NFL players for endorsements and sponsorships, including a sneaker deal with Reebok. He’s also been a spokesman for Gatorade, Verizon, Papa John’s, Bose, American Family Insurance, and NRG Energy.
Watt has also been involved in charitable work. His best-known work came after he set a goal of raising $200,000 to help people displaced by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Instead of $200,000, his campaign took in $37 million, some of which has gone toward rebuilding more than 1,000 homes.
