Mandatory Credit: Photo by John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock (12407835h) J. J. Watt and Kealia Ohai arrive on the red carpet at the Sports Illustrated 2017 Sportsperson of the Year Show on December 5, 2017 at Barclays Center in New York City. SI Sportsperson 2017, Brooklyn, New York, United States – 05 Dec 2017
J.J., Kealia Watt invest in English soccer club Burnley F.C.
J.J. Watt retired from the NFL at the end of the 2022 season, which he spent with the Arizona Cardinals – but he could not stay away from the sports world for long. Watt, along with his wife Kealia, are becoming minority investors in the English soccer club Burnley F.C.
While J.J. has put together a legendary football career, Kealia has had quite a collegiate and professional soccer career of her own. Kealia was a starter all four years at the University of North Carolina from 2010-2013, helping lead the Tar Heels to a national championship in 2012. As a freshman, she was a First-Team All-ACC selection and an ACC All-Freshman Team selection.
Professionally, Kealia Watt played for the NWSL’s Houston Dash from 2014-2019 and was named a team captain in 2016. She was traded to the Chicago Red Stars in 2020, where she played until 2021.
In a social media announcement, J.J. and Kealia spoke with excitement about the “massive” emotional investment they were making in Burnley Football Club. Burnley, currently in the Championship division of English football, has already qualified to be a part of the Barclays Premier League next season.
