T.J. Watt

Early life

Trent Jordan Watt was born on October 11, 1994, in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. He is the youngest of three sons of Connie and John Watt. His father was a firefighter for more than 25 years and his mother was the vice president of an independent inspections company. He attended Pewaukee High School, and was rated a three-star prospect by various recruiting services. While playing for the Pirates, Watt received first-team All-Conference honors at four different positions (defensive end, tight end, quarterback and punter). He would later have his number retired. Watt also participated in track and field in high school, and was the 2013 state champion in the shot put.

College career

Watt enrolled at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2013, starting his college career as a tight end for the Wisconsin Badgers. He was redshirted in 2013 and missed the entire 2014 season due to a knee injury.

In July 2015, Watt was asked by head coach Paul Chryst to switch to a defensive position as a redshirt sophomore. Badgers' outside linebackers coach Tim Tibesar recalled Watt's position change, saying, "At that time, even though he was in his third fall at Wisconsin, it was kind of like having a freshman come in. You're trying to teach him for the first time how to play outside 'backer in our system." Watt had not played in a football game since October 2012, during his senior year of high school. He played in all 13 games for the Badgers in 2015, posting four solo tackles, four assisted tackles, and three pass breakups.

After the fourth game of his junior season in 2016, he led the Big Ten Conference in sacks. In the Michigan State game, he was named the Big Ten Player of the Week and was given the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week Award. Overall in 2016, Watt recorded 63 total tackles and 11.5 sacks. Additionally, he recorded an interception and a defensive touchdown during the Badgers' game against Purdue. Watt also received first-team All-American honors by Sports Illustrated and second-team honors by the Associated Press for his play during the 2016 season. On November 29, 2016, he was named first-team All-Big Ten. On January 3, 2017, Watt announced on Twitter that he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2017 NFL draft.

During his time at Wisconsin, Watt majored in retailing and consumer behavior. He received Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2015 and 2016.

Personal life

Watt has two older brothers, J. J. and Derek, who both played at the University of Wisconsin before going on to NFL careers. Derek is a former fullback who was selected in the sixth round by the San Diego Chargers with the 198th overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft. He was college teammates with T. J. from 2013 to 2015 and was also T. J.'s teammate with the Steelers from 2020 to 2022. Eldest brother J. J. is a former three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and five-time first-team All-Pro defensive end who was selected by the Houston Texans with the 11th overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft. In 2023, T. J. and J. J. became the first pair of brothers to appear on the cover of a Wheaties box together.

Watt married professional soccer player Dani Rhodes on July 9, 2022. Their daughter, Blakely Marie Watt, was born on March 10, 2025. On September 12, 2026, Watt's wife announced on Instagram that they were expecting their second child.

Watt supports 412 Food Rescue, a non-profit organization based in Pittsburgh. In 2025, both he and his wife became ambassadors for UPMC Children's Hospital Foundation, where they bring awareness to the future of pediatric healthcare.

In August 2025, Watt and his wife teamed up with Abercrombie & Fitch to release a new line of activewear, Your Personal Best (YPB).