J.J. Watt 'very, very close to being back to 100 percent' after groin surgery

Houston Texans star defensive end J.J. Watt won last season's Defensive Player of the Year award, despite being hampered by a groin injury for the latter portion of the campaign, further establishing himself as one of the NFL's biggest physical freaks.

The fact that Watt remained the most dominant defensive player in the league during an injury-ravaged season - that also included a broke hand - likely gives offensive players and coaches nightmares.

Those nightmares will presumably be made worse by the fact that Watt said he's nearing full fitness in preparation for next season, after undergoing groin surgery in January.

"I am very, very close to being back to 100 percent," Watt said, according to Peter King of the MMQB.

The 27-year-old has now won three DPOY awards in five seasons in the league. Watt has become famous for his otherworldly work ethic and standards for his play, though, so he's still looking to improve his game.

"But I never want to just get back to where I was," Watt said. "I want to build to be better than where I was."