T.J. Watt on playing for Mike Tomlin: ‘you’re gonna want to run through a wall'
Yahoo Sports' Jason Fitz is joined by the Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker on Radio Row at Super Bowl LVIII to discuss how head coach Mike Tomlin keeps the Pittsburgh Steelers competitive every season and who is the most athletic among the Watt brothers. T.J. joined Yahoo Sports on behalf of USAA.
Video Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
- Hanging out with TJ Watt, joining us on behalf of USAA, and we'll get to that in just a minute. But first, TJ, got to play a game. What's in the cards, all right? Higher or lower? So I'm going to flip over a card. You'll tell me is the next card higher or lower. If you get it right, you get an easy question.
TJ WATT: Sounds good.
- If you get it wrong, you get a hard question. I'm still thinking, though. Like, you're huge. I should be careful with the hard-- like, the hard--
TJ WATT: The game sounds too easy right now.
- Hey, he gets a nine, though. A nine is a tough-- tough card, see? You tempted the card gods. Higher or lower?
TJ WATT: I had a rough time in the casino last night. I don't trust my gut at all. We'll go lower. [LAUGHS]
- He goes low, and he gets it right. He gets an easy question. Rank you and your brothers in an order of athleticism.
TJ WATT: Me, Derek, JJ.
- That was easy. So like, is there ever a level where you guys aren't competitive? Or in the house, is it just, like, who can do everything the best?
TJ WATT: Who can do everything the best. It doesn't matter if it's mowing the lawn or if it's an eating contest or if we're playing basketball in the driveway. Always competing.
- Does that ever end, do you think, or is this just structured in how you guys are?
TJ WATT: No. I mean, JJ and I were just in the Casino last night going at it. And we both left losers, so-- [LAUGHS]
- [LAUGHS] Hey, look, they don't build these huge casinos by accident, right?
TJ WATT: Yeah, it brought our bond closer.
- Yeah, that's-- 100%. All right. So are we going to go higher or lower?
TJ WATT: Higher.
- Yeah, I figured. It's a bust on that one. All right.
TJ WATT: So it's easy, right?
- No. No, no. That's a tie.
TJ WATT: All right. Higher again.
- Higher again. A two. Oh, we get a lower. All right. So hard question, or at least a well-thought-out answer. What is it about Mike Tomlin that makes the Steelers always competitive?
TJ WATT: I tell people all the time-- everybody should have the opportunity to sit-in a team meeting with Mike T because it doesn't matter if it's an OTA in June or if it's a day-before-a-game meeting in the fall. You're going to want to run through a wall. And he knows how to motivate guys. He knows how to stay even keel.
He's not going to over compliment on you doing something amazing. He's not going to rip you apart too much when you're down too low. He knows exactly how to motivate guys. And the formula works. It's just on our end, now, to be able to finish the bargain at the end of the season and be able to start winning playoff games.
- All right. Are we going higher or lower than a two?
TJ WATT: Higher, but I don't know. [LAUGHS] I mean--
- It's a queen. He gets yet another easy question. All right. Favorite Tomlinism. Steelers players always have some cliche he gives me. Come on.
TJ WATT: There's a fine line between making wine and squishing grapes. It is true. There's such a minute difference between an all-pro player and a special teams player. There's just, like-- that 1% extra is what separates guys in the NFL. You're either squishing grapes or you're making fine wine, and I want to be making fine wine.
- Higher or lower than a 10.
TJ WATT: Lower.
- Uh-- oh, it's an ace, which means I get to rig the game and make this a tough question.
TJ WATT: [LAUGHS]
- All right. This year there was some criticism from Roethlisberger about the Steelers and culture. What was your reaction to somebody in the locker room to somebody that's such a legend with the organization speaking out about that?
TJ WATT: Yeah. I mean, obviously, everybody's entitled to their own opinion. Some opinions are weighted more heavily from guys that have been in that locker room and have done things for a successful level for a long time, won Lombardi trophies. But at the end of the day, it is all about the guys in the locker room.
And it's hard for people on the outside to truly get a feel for what's going on in the inside. And we just have to come together as a unit and understand that we're not going to solve our problems by listening to everybody on the outside. We need to solve problems internally. And I think that's why we went on a nice run towards the end there, to be able to get into the playoffs, but more is required.
- All right. So tell everybody what you're doing with USAA.
TJ WATT: Yeah, I partner with USAA to be the official NFL Salute to Service partner to gift Adam Alexander-- Staff Sergeant Adam Alexander-- and his father-in-law two tickets to the Super Bowl. He was fighting for our country over in Afghanistan when he was struck by an enemy sniper and was given 5% chance to live. He's doing well. He recovered well. He defeated all odds. Earned a Purple Heart. He's back in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Wisconsin's where I'm from, obviously, so it's close to my heart. But I'm excited to meet him tomorrow.
And it's just incredible the amount of respect that I have for all of our military who-- I mean, we're sitting here talking right now just talking about me living my dreams as an NFL football player. And we have guys that are fighting for our freedoms. I have the utmost respect for them, and I'm super proud and happy for this partnership.
- Thanks for hanging out, man. Thanks for doing great work. Appreciate you
TJ WATT: Thank you.