"Sitting in an Applebee's last weekend in Madison, Wis., during the dead period for college recruiting, Wisconsin defensive line coach and assistant head coach Charlie Partridge nudged his 5-year-old daughter, Alexa, and pointed at the nearest television.

The Texans were playing Cincinnati, and when she recognized former Badger J.J. Watt, one of her favorites, Alexa began jumping up and down. Moments later, Watt slid down the line, reached out to intercept Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, and returned the ball for a touchdown. Witnessing that dramatic play, Partridge's expression wasn't childlike.

He simply shook his head.

As Watt's current teammates admitted following the 31-10 victory over the Bengals, the rookie defensive end routinely makes such plays during practice, and his college position coach was thinking the same thing.

"I wish I could I say I did something special in teaching him, but he's just special," Partridge said.

He, too, grew accustomed to seeing the 290-pound Watt do things a man his size shouldn't be able to do. Yet what seemed to attract the most attention with Watt was his makeup, which is ample. That was little consolation on draft day as puzzled fans voiced their displeasure, hoping for someone with more sizzle and less "Milkman," the nickname bestowed upon Watt this week by outside linebacker Connor Barwin because "he's from Wisconsin, he's white (and) he drinks more milk than anybody I've ever seen.""