GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (WFRV) — A 5-year-old Grand Chute boy attending the Packers joint practice with the Houston Texans Monday got two surprises when he brought his bike to Lambeau Field: the first was when Texans star J.J. Watt chose his bike to ride to training camp, the second was when Watt accidentally broke it.
“He’s so strong that he broke the seat off,” explains Biraj Sidhu, from his front yard. “Now it feels weird when you ride it.”
Biraj, along with his older brother Tavish and mother Tanbir, decided to spend their Monday morning bringing bikes to the Packers-Texans practice.
“Today just seemed like a good day, we’ve never done it before,” Tanbir says.
The day started with managed expectations.
“I had prepped the boys that, hey, there’s a good chance you’re not gonna get picked, but just go have fun,” says father Jimmy Sidhu.
However, it turned memorable quickly when Watt, a 3-time NFL Defensive player and Wisconsin native, picked Biraj’s bike to ride to practice.
“(Biraj) was right up front and it just all worked out beautifully,” Tanbir says.
But the magical moment took an unexpected turn when Watt – who the Texans roster lists at 288 pounds – accidentally broke the small bike’s seat.
“There was a pop and an ‘oh no’, and then I think J.J. Watt kinda made the comment about, ‘a 290-pound body is not meant for a little bike’,” Tanbir says.
Watt then picked up the bike and carried it the rest of the way.
“As soon as we got down to the bottom before they went off to training camp, one of his staff came up to me, and just graciously offered and said JJ wants to pay for a new bike for him,” Tanbir says. “It was a very touching moment for us to see his generosity.”
While his bike may no longer be usable, Biraj seems overall pleased with his interaction with the NFL superstar. He spent Monday drawing a picture of himself with, and writing a letter to, his new friend.
“JJ Watt… it was so fun with you riding my bike,” says Biraj, reading from his letter.
