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J.J. Watt Shares Unintentionally Hilarious Snake Encounter

Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt ranks among the most popular players in the NFL, and his personality is a big reason why.

The veteran pass rusher had an eventful Saturday, posting on Twitter that he discovered a baby rattlesnake in a bathroom at his Arizona home. Being relatively new to Arizona—he’s entering his second season with the Cardinals—he sought advice on how to handle the situation.

Thousands of replies and suggestions rolled in, including responses from Saints defensive end Cam Jordan, retired NFL defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, retired NFL kicker Jay Feely, Fox Sports reporter Erin Andrews, NFL Network broadcaster Rich Eisen and ESPN broadcaster Dave Pasch.

In a video posted hours later, Watt described how he handled the situation.

“I’m from Wisconsin. I don’t have a lot of experience with snakes,” Watt explained. “A couple garden snakes here and there, a couple in Houston. I don’t know a lot about snakes. I don’t know how to handle snakes. [I’m] not a big fan of snakes.

“When I got down here to Arizona, everybody said, ‘Watch out for the scorpions and watch out for the rattlesnakes.’ ...

“So I call a guy. I mean, I don’t know what to do. I call this guy, and he comes out to the house, and he takes a look at it, and he just picks it up with his bare hands. And he goes, ‘Oh, it’s not a rattlesnake. It’s a long-nosed snake. Completely harmless.’ Then he left.

“So if you ever want to feel like a wimp, that’s the way to do it.”

Fortunately, neither Watt nor his wife, pro soccer player Kealia Ohai Watt, was hurt. And fortunately, he doesn’t take himself too seriously.

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