J.J. Watt is one of the most dominant defensive players in the NFL, but his first of two major surgeries this offseason thrust his career into doubt.
The Texans' star pass-rusher wondered if he'd ever play football again while persevering through rehab this offseason. He underwent surgery in January to have five muscles repaired and both of his lower abs reattached. He also had his abductors (one right and two left) reattached.
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"When I was in Philadelphia after the first surgery, there were some days there where I really questioned whether or not I'd ever be able to play again," Watt said Wednesday, via ESPN.com. "Just some of the stuff we were dealing with from a rehab standpoint. And just the way that the recovery was going early on."
Watt then had a second surgery in July to repair a herniated disk in his back. This one, Watt said, was a lot better during the rehab process. At no point did he feel as though he'd miss the season opener against the Bears.
"No, there was never a doubt," Watt said. "Those guys were awesome in helping me and also awesome in being willing to have an aggressive approach. After a surgery, the rehab can go one of many ways, and these guys were willing to accept my aggressive style, and we did it in a smart fashion, but we did it in a way that we knew that this really wasn't going to be an issue."
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Dealing with pain is something Watt has done very well, having never missed a game during his five-year NFL career. The unstoppable force has amassed 371 tackles and 74.5 sacks during that time.