Defensive end for the NFL's Houston Texans J.J. Watt weighs in at nearly 290 pounds and is showing his lighter professional comrades who play ball on a court instead of a field that football players too can gain some air.
An 11-second video of Watt box jumping 59.5 inches as of Friday morning was trending as number one across the nation on YouTube's Trends Map.
Watch Watt's jump:
If you don't think jumping 59.5 inches -- nearly five feet -- is that impressive for a 6-foot-five-inch guy, there are a couple things to consider:
- See how the boxes Watt will jump come up to his chest.
- Box jumping isn't done with a running leap. As described by the American Council on Exercise, a box jump involves starting in a stationary position and then assuming a "downward phase" before exploding upward and landing on the box.
A sequence of Watt's perfect form for the tough box jump. (Images: YouTube screenshots)
Doing box jumps is not as easy as it might look. The world record for a standing box jump is held by Kevin Bania for 64.4375 inches.
"Watch out," Watt says after finishing the jump. NFL pre-season games are already only a couple weeks away, with the first game being held August 4.
The video was taken by Evan Conley who tweeted that it took place in a pre-ESPY workout.
[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/evanPconley/status/357629347764510720"]
Based on Watt's later tweet, it appears that he and Conley had been friends back in high school.
[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/JJWatt/status/357695398753734656"]
ESPY Awards are an annual event hosted by ESPN honoring individuals and teams for their athletic performances.
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