J.J. Watt will honor Santa Fe H.S. victims

J.J. Watt is no stranger to stepping up during times of need. The Texans star will pay for the funerals of the victims of the Santa Fe H.S. shooting.

When Hurricane Harvey ravaged Houston, J.J. Watt led the charge to help. Now the Texans defensive end is stepping up on another somber occasion. Watt has offered to pay for the funerals of each of the nine victims of the Santa Fe H.S. shooting.

Friday’s shooting at the Texas high school claimed the lives of 10 people and injured others. A 17-year-old shooter is believed to be responsible.

The Texans organization, like many others, expressed its condolences to those affected by the tragedy. The team also paid compliments to the “brave first responders, law enforcement officials and medical personnel” that responded to the scene.

Watt also took to social media to express his grief. It’s a testament to him that he’s going to take things a step further.

Philanthropy is nothing new to Watt. He raised over $37 million for Hurricane Harvey in the aftermath of the 2017 storm. His personal contributions were a huge help to the Houston community. More importantly, the visibility Watt brought to the issue elicited contributions from countless others.

Those efforts, in part, resulted in Watt being awarded the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. His decision to step up in the wake of the Santa Fe tragedy won’t help people on the same scale as his Hurricane Harvey efforts, but it will be every bit as meaningful for the people affected by the tragedy.

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Professional athletes continue to show they are more and more aware of what’s going on in the world around them. J.J. Watt takes things one step further. He isn’t just aware of what’s going on in the world around him, he takes concrete steps to better people’s lives.