J.J. Watt joins elite list of NFL players with personal logos

ByDarren Rovell ESPN logo
Monday, May 23, 2016

Three-time NFL defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt unveiled a new logo on Sunday.

The logo, which will be used for Watt's Reebok campaign, looks like "JJ" or a "W," but if it's turned upside down, it looks like "99," Watt's jersey number.

The logo is designed to look like rising buildings, built from the bottom up, a metaphor for work ethic of Watt, who was a walk-on before he received a scholarship at the University of Wisconsin.

Reebok signed Watt in April 2015 and has used him in several spots with the tagline "Hunt greatness."

"I have always dreamed of being able to use my experience to create something truly great, something that I believed would legitimately improve people's performance and training," Watt told ESPN.com. "I wanted the ability to put my own personal stamp of approval on tools that I thought would help people perform better. And that is what this logo has allowed me to do. When you see this logo, you will know that I personally had my hand in the product's creation and that it has my own personal stamp of approval."

Reebok hasn't sold much Watt-branded gear since signing him, save for some limited apparel, but word is that a signature training shoe might be in the offing. Because the brand does not have a deal with the NFL, Watt can't wear Reebok's logo on the field.

Watt joins Cam Newton and Tom Brady as NFL players who have their own logos.

Watt has emerged as one of the most marketable players in the league. Besides Reebok, he has deals with Bose, Gatorade, Ford, Verizon, HEB, Papa John's and American Family Insurance, plus an equity piece in clothing brand Mizzen + Main.

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