J.J. Watt’s humanitarian efforts know no bounds.
The Houston Texans’ star defensive end is willing to pay funeral expenses for the 10 people killed in Friday morning’s mass shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas.
At least 10 people died and 10 more were injured after a 17-year-old suspect opened fire. Most of those killed were also students.
Watt, who has been known for his humanitarian efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, is now offering to pay for victims’ funerals, a source told KHOU 11 in Houston. KHOU is a TEGNA affiliate, which is part of Gannett.
Shortly after Friday morning’s shooting, Watt tweeted, “Absolutely horrific.”
Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres tweeted how grateful she was for Watt’s generosity: “Thank you, @JJWatt for going above and beyond for the families of Santa Fe, Texas. I love you.”
Watt is famously active in the Houston community, most notably in the wake of Hurricane Harvey last August.
After Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston area, Watt utilized social media to raise more than $37 million for people impacted by the disaster. It all started with a video posted on social media of Watt announcing a fundraising campaign with a goal of $200,000. Watt said that he would match the first $100,000. It took less than three weeks to raise more than $37 million.
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Watt’s efforts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey earned the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which honors players for both off-field charity work and on-field excellence.
Ten people were killed and ten others were injured in a shooting at Santa Fe High School outside Houston. USA TODAY
“This award is about the inherent good that lies within humanity,” Watt said after receiving the award the evening before Super Bowl LII. “It’s about the city of Houston and its ability to overcome adversity at a time when it all seemed lost. It is about the hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country and all over the world who donated to a city they may have never been to, to people that they may never meet. But they donated simply because they saw their fellow humans going through a difficult time and they wanted to help out.
“I cannot express how humbled and honored that I am to be mentioned in the same sentence as Walter Payton. A man who did everything right not only on the field but also off of it.”
