Fans fill Minute Maid Park for J.J. Watt's charity softball game

HOUSTON – Big night out at Minute Maid Park on Saturday night and the Astros weren’t even in town. For the first time in four years of the J.J. Watt Celebrity Classic, the Texans mega-star welcomed fans, teammates and supporters to the downtown ballpark for his night of fun of fundraising.

Fans lined the gates and were fired up to watch Watt in his annual Charity Classic, some even coming from out of state for the event.

“We came to support J.J’s foundation because I love what he does for the kids. I’m a pediatric nurse from Mesa, Arizona,” one fan said as she settled in for the night’s events.

Whether on the football field or on the baseball diamond, Texans nation loves number 99.

“It’s JJ Watt, he’s just a good guy,” another fan said. “He’s a beast, he wrecks shop on the football field and off.”

“He’s an awesome football player. He’s just really amazing and we love him,” said one young fan.

And Watt himself is just as excited as the fans.

“Somebody just asked me a few minutes ago, could you ever have imagined five years ago,” Watt said.  “That you’d be almost filling up a big league ballpark and raising a ridiculous amount for kids and I don’t know if this ever entered my wildest dreams.”