Last May, as Burnley celebrated their promotion back to the Premier League, JJ Watt rode on top of a bus as it drove through the streets of Lancashire.
There were thousands of fans in attendance and a crucial summer of planning ahead. But Watt, who had invested in the club with his wife, Kealia, barely more than a week before, admittedly played no part in the success he enjoyed.
“We were at the parade, we had the trophy in our hands and all that, and I felt imposter syndrome because I was like we were the kid who showed up for the group project, didn’t do anything, but still got an A,” shared he Mail Sport this week in an interview.
‘So it was fun. It was a blast. I had a great time. But I don’t feel like I deserved it properly. Now if we go on and win some sort of silverware in the future – I feel I will have been a part of it.’
Silverware looks a long way off at the minute for Burnley, who are still five points clear of safety – following Nottingham’s Forest’s four point deduction – with just nine games left to play.
JJ Watt and his wife, Kealia, enjoyed Burnley’s promotion parade last May in Lancashire
The Watts have immersed themselves in the club since investing last year
The former NFL star told Mail Sport he is ‘loving every second’ of owning a piece of Burnley
Yet while Watts’ years of sporting experience will tell him that Burnley face a huge task to stay up, he cannot help but be emotionally invested in his new club.
“As an owner, you have to be optimistic, you have to have that hope,” he said while promoting his new one The campaign ‘Great Taste, Less Filling’ with Miller Lite. ‘And I think that’s the beauty of this game and that’s the beauty of having promotion (and) relegation as well. There is always something to fight for. There is always some kind of adrenaline rush, there is always something exciting.
‘So I think – I always talk to English football fans and they say it’s the hope that kills you. But somehow, every single week, you find a way every single week – no matter who we play, we can play Man City, we can play anyone. I have convinced myself in my head that there is a way we can pull this off. So I still have that optimism in my head.
That optimism was rewarded last weekend when Burnley beat Brentford 2-1 at Turf Moor and it was a special day for Watt as he attended the game with Kealia, their son, Koa, and his parents.
Watt’s ownership of Burnley followed Hollywood’s influx of cash to Wrexham from Ryan Reynolds and Rob McIlhenney. And like that pair – as they came to convince supporters – his involvement with the Clarets seems far from a vanity project or a mere hobby.
‘It’s a surreal moment standing on the pitch before the game and my dad is holding my son and he’s pointing at players on the football team that we’re now minority owners of.
Watt attended Burnley’s win at Turf Moor last weekend with his wife, son and parents
Watt called it ‘surreal’ to see his father and son, Koa, on the field before the game
‘It’s a phrase that I don’t think in my life I could have ever imagined about a Premier League team. So it was a wild thing for me and just a really, really cool experience to share with them.
‘A little kid from Pewaukee, Wisconsin, all the way over here now, watching the Premier League games for the team that we’re involved with. The culture is so cool, the people are great. The people of Burnley have been incredible. So really enjoying it over here.’
Premier League ownership may not have seemed an obvious path for Watt when he announced his retirement at the end of 2022.
TV is often an option for high-profile players like Watt – and he became an NFL analyst at CBS – but there was a desire to try something even bolder. And not to mention, a hole to fill from the rush his playing career gave him.
“That’s one of the reasons I wanted to get involved in it, because I wanted to step outside my comfort zone,” he said. – Of course I know a lot about American sports. And I really wanted to immerse myself in something new and force myself to learn and grow. And it has been all that and more.’
Watt joined CBS as an NFL analyst after finishing his impressive playing career in the NFL
And he has credited his ownership of Burnley with mimicking the ‘adrenaline’ of his playing career
He continued: ‘For me it’s been massive to have Burnley… because I get so high and low every week. Almost more nerve-wracking and more adrenaline (than playing) because I’m not in control of it every week.’
If Watt doesn’t think you can ‘really recreate’ the feeling of playing, then he’s certainly leaning into his new role as co-owner.
There have been several trips to England, he spent last week in team meetings and training and is often seen wearing his Burnley baseball cap – even in interviews that has nothing to do with the team.
“Just dive into it,” he said.
Of course, there’s also the intense, perhaps unrealistic optimism he just can’t suppress.
Watt knows his first brush with the Premier League could prove short. But for now – and especially after last week’s win – he loves the ride.
“It’s really a huge passion of mine,” he said. ‘I love every second of it.’