J.J. Watt named to Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people in 2018
JR RadcliffeAdd another prominent mention to the list.
J.J. Watt, an NFL superstar who continued to make big headlines in a year in which he barely saw the field, was named as one of the "Time 100" on Thursday, an annual rundown of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine.
The Pewaukee native, whose season of high praise has included Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year and NFL Man of the Year, spearheaded a fundraising effort that brought in $37 million in disaster relief for Houston and surrounding areas following Hurricane Harvey in August 2017.
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A letter from the editor on Time's website describes how selections were made for the list.
"TIME’s annual list of the world’s most influential people is a designation of individuals whose time, in our estimation, is now. The TIME 100 isn’t a measure of power, though many on the list wield it. Nor is it a collection of milestones accumulated. As our staff considers candidates, we often find ourselves wowed by those with stunning lifetime achievements. But editorial director Dan Macsai, maestro of the TIME 100, brings us back to the key question: Was this their year?"
Other sports figures on the list include NBA star Kevin Durant, tennis player Roger Federer and Winter Olympians Chloe Kim and Adam Rippon.
In 19 days, Watt's foundation received contributions from 200,000 donors to the cause.
Just yesterday, Time published a story highlighting the friendship between Watt and former first lady Barbara Bush, who has deep connections to the Houston area and died at age 92 on Tuesday.
Watt has won three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, matching Lawrence Taylor for the most in league history. His past two seasons have been sidetracked by injury. He missed 13 games in 2016 after back surgery and sustained a serious leg injury in the fifth game of the 2017 season.
RELATED:J.J. Watt's NFL injuries have been more painful lately
Sylvester Turner, the mayor of Houston, penned the brief tribute to Watt in Time's piece.
