JJ Watt was blown away by Taylor Swift while attending a concert as part of the pop icon’s “The Eras Tour” Saturday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The recently retired NFL defensive end provided a first-hand account of Swift’s 44-song performance via his Instagram.
“It was 44 songs,” Watt said, via Sports Illustrated. “Three hours and 15 minutes long. And she did not stop the whole time. There was no intermission. There was no halftime… no TV timeouts. The longest break she took was maybe three minutes for a costume change. She was singing, dancing, entertaining the entire time; 70,000 people hanging on every single word and move she was making for three hours and 15 minutes and she crushed it. She didn’t even look tired. I was tired and I was just sitting there.”
Perhaps you didn’t take Watt to be a bonafide Swiftie, but that’s indeed the case. Watt was one of many celebrities to attend the first concert of Swift’s tour, with actress Emma Stone in the crowd among others.
JJ Watt Details Decision to Retire From NFL After 12 Seasons
Watt, 33, is walking away from the game as one of the most accomplished defenders in league history. A five-time All-Pro selection, Watt accumulated 111.5 sacks and 27 forced fumbles throughout his career. He took home AP Defensive Player of the Year Honors three times (2012, 2014, 2015). Watt is one of just three players to ever accomplish the feat (Lawrence Taylor, Aaron Donald.)
Shortly after announcing his retirement, Watt detailed his decision.
I’ve known for a little while. It’s the right time,” Watt told reporters this past December, via NFL.com. “It feels like the right time. I’ve put so much into the game and the wins and the losses, the mental stress and passion that comes with it, it just weighs on you. It’s heavy, I mean it’s really heavy.
“The losses are very tough to take. You live with the highs and the lows, and I’ve always said that I’d way rather live with the highs and the lows than never know in the middle. I’ve got a son now. Obviously, I had a heart scare in the middle of the year, so there’s certainly some of that that played into it. But I’m very happy and am very at peace with it.”
