On the field, T.J. Watt is an absolute beast… one of the hardest defenders to move. Any offense going up against him needs a game plan just for him. He’s tough, he’s stoic, and he’s a nightmare for quarterbacks. Off the field, though, the All-Pro has a very different kind of vulnerability.
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The former Defensive Player of the Year, as it turns out, could end up in the emergency room over something as small as fruit seeds or a stray nut. That’s right, Watt is deathly allergic to tree nuts, proving even the fiercest NFL stars have their soft spots.
In fact, the allergy is so severe that Watt needs to carry an EpiPen with him at all times. The instances are rare, but there have been times he’s had to use it.
“I’ve stabbed myself with the EpiPen,” Watt revealed to Graham Bensinger. “That was the 2nd time in my life I’ve used my pen. And the first time I used it, it worked right away.”
The star linebacker also recalled another time he had to use his EpiPen, and it didn’t work. In that frightening moment, Watt and his wife had to rush to a hospital, but the only one they found was full and not admitting patients. Definitely a tough break for Watt.
“I’m like, I need medicine right now. I just called my team doc. That’s where being in my situation is awesome, because I can call my team doc and he can talk to their doctors,” Watt shared.
After that, the star NFL player finally got the medical attention he needed. If he had been turned away, it could’ve ended tragically. Thankfully, the Pittsburgh Steelers team doctor was able to convey the severity of the situation.
Later on, Watt shared another story when his father jokingly threw a pecan at his face, asking if he was allergic. He found out pretty quickly that his son indeed was, as Watt’s face “blew up,” according to him.
“That had never happened to me before, obviously. I’ve only ingested them. I’ve never had them touch my skin before. So, that was like. I didn’t realize how severe the allergy was until that moment.”
Despite the severity, Watt shared that he never once thought he was going to die. But he did know that things could go south fast if he wasn’t careful. That’s why he’s now hyper-aware of what he eats and what comes in contact with his skin.
All in all, there have been two other notable incidents where Watt had to be rushed to the emergency room, both involving pasta dishes that unknowingly contained tree nuts. On one occasion, he even had to communicate using hand gestures to get someone to help him with his EpiPen.
Now, Watt has learned to live with the allergy. It’s all about caution and awareness, and he makes sure to double-check everything before every meal.
