J.J. Watt Shows Off Amazing Hockey Skills

J.J. Watt has said his first love was hockey.

And it shows.

The Houston Texans defensive end, who stands at 6-foot-5 and around 290 pounds, is the star of a new video in which he demonstrates his impressive feel for the sport. His skating and stickhandling skills are top notch, especially for someone of his size.

Watt has said the reason he stopped playing hockey at age 13 was because it was too expensive. If he hadn't given up the sport, he could have been quite the imposing presence in skates.

"Really, I had to quit. It was financial," Watt told Peter King. "I have two younger brothers and we were all playing on a travel team, and it was extremely expensive. My family is a middle-class family. When I grew up and learned how much it actually cost for us to play hockey, I could not believe that my parents let us play as long as they did. Now I’m forever grateful for my parents even giving me the opportunity, because honestly those were some of the best years of my life."

Watt included this video in a tweet he sent to Chicago Blackhawks and Team USA winger Patrick Kane.

And it is also no accident that Watt wears No. 99. He has said that when he was a kid, Wayne Gretzky was one of his favorite athletes.