JJ Watt offers gracious gesture for Waukesha Christmas parade victims

JJ Watt has deep-rooted ties to Waukesha, Wisconsin, and the current Arizona Cardinals star is stepping up in a major way to help his community.

According to Pro Football Talk, Watt is covering the funeral costs for the families of everyone that lost their life in the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy Sunday evening.

An SUV broke through several police barricades and sped recklessly through the Sunday night Christmas parade in Waukesha — where Watt and his family grew up — with no regard for pedestrians who were attending the event. As of Tuesday, the death toll reached six, including a child, according to authorities.

Darrell E. Brooks, 39, was officially charged Tuesday with five counts of first-degree intentional homicide, according to the Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors said they will consider a sixth homicide charge, due to the child’s death.

JJ Watt was born in Waukesha, before attending Pewaukee High School where he began his pursuit of playing in the NFL. He originally committed to Central Michigan as a tight end, before transferring to Wisconsin where he thrived after making the transition to defensive end.

After two dominating seasons for the Badgers, Watt was the first defensive end selected in the 2011 NFL Draft when the Houston Texans selected him with the 11th overall pick.