Texans' JJ Watt tries out being a firefighter

PEWAUKEE, WI (KTRK) -- Texans star J.J. Watt recently tried out being a professional firefighter in his hometown of Pewaukee, Wisconsin.

J.J. Watt's newest shoes in blue

The son of retired firefighter John Watt, J.J. Watt says in the promotional video for Gatorade that he used to fear his father's workplace.

He said, "When I would visit the fire station, I was scared of the trucks, I was scared of the ambulances because I only associated them with the possibility of my dad getting hurt."

In the video, Watt tries out a number of firefighter exercises -- including dragging dummies, lifting heavy hoses and breaking into structures - in 86-degree heat. That's not exactly a Texas temperature right now, but it was a lot to handle in full firefighter gear for the Texans defensive end.

Watt says in the video, "I respect the hell out of that. That's incredible. I mean, I'm dying. I'm drenched."

He added, "I work my ass off every day at my job because I love it, but at the end of the day, if I screw up, I've a bad play. This is life and death. To me, there's no comparison. We get headlines, you know, and we're playing a game. You know, these guys don't get the headlines, but they're the ones that save lives. Between them and the police and the military. I mean, those are people that are doing something that matters because they are true heroes. I'm just a guy that chases a ball around."

The video was produced for Gatorade's Beat the Heat campaign. Watch the video below: