JJ Watt Helps Fan Selling Jersey, Shoes to Pay for Grandfather's Funeral

The Arizona Cardinals star offered to help pay for the funeral after the fan tweeted she was selling her Watt merchandise to raise money

Watt helps fan selling jersey, shoes to pay for grandpa's funeral originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

A fan tweeted that she was selling her JJ Watt sneakers and jersey in order to raise money for her grandfather's funeral.

She raised the money, and got to keep her sneakers and jersey, thanks to Watt himself.

"Don't sell your shoes and jersey, we'll help with the funeral," the Arizona Cardinals defensive end tweeted Wednesday. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Jennifer Simpson, whose Twitter bio says she is a Texans and Astros fan, tweeted on June 23rd that her grandpa died unexpectedly, and she was trying to raise funds to help cover the cost of the funeral through a Facebook Fundraiser. On Wednesday, she tweeted she was holding a bake sale in Houston to raise money, tagging members of the Astros and Texans to ask if any were in town to buy a dessert.

She then tagged Watt, a former Texan, in a tweet that said she was selling a women's edition pair of his Reebok shoes for $60 and a Watt Texans jersey for $30 to help cover funeral expenses. That got the attention of the five-time Pro Bowler, who has 5.6 million followers on Twitter. He offered to help in a quote tweet, which led to many others on social media making donations of their own.

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"I freaking love you man," Simpson tweeted in response to Watt. "It’s been a hard year for me, and this last month has been hard since the death. I wish I could tell you my story."

Watt has a history of philanthropy and good deeds. In November, he offered to pay for the funeral costs for all six victims of the Waukesha parade tragedy that took place in his hometown in Wisconsin.

In 2017, Watt was given the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, which recognizes a player for excellence on and off the field, after he started a relief fund for Houston residents following Hurricane Harvey.

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