Wade Phillips Can Already See J.J. Watt Headed For Hall of Fame

Photo Credit: HoustonTexans.com

After just his rookie season, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt has cracked our list of the Top 100 NFL Players of 2012 at the N0. 96 overall spot and is already being projected to the Hall of Fame by his defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

“He’s going to be a bust—not a first-round bust but a bust in the Hall of Fame,” Phillips said, via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.  ”The only players I’ve seen that can do what he can do with his intensity can be found in Canton.”

Phillips isn’t the only member of the organization that believes big things are ahead for Watt.  Over the weekend, DE Antonio Smith also mentioned he expects Watt will become a “megastar.”

Last season, Watt, 23, started every game for the Texans, as he registered 56 tackles and 5.5 sacks, along with four passes defensed.

“Last year I wanted to be a contributor and just help us win games and now I want to be dominant and establish myself as a top-tier defensive end,” Watt said in late May (comments distributed by the team).

So what are his overall goals?  “Super Bowl,” Watt said.  “That’s it.”

The 6-5, 288-pound star defensive end also accumulated 14 tackles, 3.5 sacks and one all-important interception returned for a touchdown from 29 yards out against the Cincinnati Bengals during the playoffs.

“I did some good things at the end of the year but I want to put a whole year together,” Watt said. “I started off a little rusty last year, so this year I want to come out from the gate and show everybody what I’m about and show everybody what this defense is about.”

Verse of This Piece: “Doing right brings freedom to honest people, but those who are not trustworthy will be caught in their own desires.” —Proverbs 11:6

Michael Gartman is a College Football and NFL Senior Writer, the AFC South and NFC West Lead Writer and the Founder, CEO of GridironGrit.com.  He also writes for RantPolitical.com, where he reports on topics across all sides of the political spectrum and analyzes important issues in the liberty movement.  Follow @_MichaelGartman, @RantPolitical and @GridironGrit on Twitter!