T.J. Watt Marries Soccer Player in Beach Ceremony

T.J. Watt is now a married man. The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year married soccer player Dania Rhodes on Saturday in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. His NFL brothers, J.J. Watt and Derek Watt attended the wedding as did his Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Cameron Heyward, free agent cornerback Joe Haden and former Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier, according to ESPN. 

“Best day of my life,” the couple said in separate Instagram posts. Rhodes, 24, played soccer for the Wisconsin Badgers. She also played professional soccer with the Chicago Red Stars with J.J. Watts’ wife Kealia Ohai. Rhodes got engaged to T.J. Watt in July of last year. “When I was a little girl I never thought I’d find someone special enough to ever change my last name,” Rhodes wrote in an Instagram post. “But I found him and couldn’t be happier to share a name with the man of my dreams. 

Watt, 27, has been with the Steelers since being drafted by the team in 2017 and has emerged as one of the best outside linebackers in the league. His best season was in 2021 as he recorded 64 tackles, 21 tackles for loss and 22.5 sacks which ties him with Michael Strahan for the single-season record. Along with being named Defensive Player of the Year, Watt has been selected to the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro Team four times. In the last two seasons, Watt has led the league in sacks as he had 15 in 2020. 

Before the start of the 2021 season, Watt signed a four-year contract extension worth over $112 million with $80 million guaranteed. “This was a dream to play for an organization like this, and it’s everything from on the field to off the field,” Watt said shortly after the deal was done. “On the field, it’s a three-four defense. I’m an outside linebacker. That is a player’s dream. 

“To play for Blitzburgh, to play for this city, to play for the fans is also a dream. And to play for the Rooney family is also a dream. It’s incredible and I get chills talking about it. Being a part of an organization that has such rich tradition. And it’s not some billionaire who came in and bought a team and started it because he had all this money. This is a team built off tradition, and it goes so much deeper than just football and that’s why I am so grateful to be a part of it.”